5 Things That Can Happen To Your Body When You Eat Too Much Dairy

When it comes to food, there is always such a thing as “too much of a good thing.” Every food (or drink) item out there comes with a limit on how much you can consume before you start to deal with some annoying (and sometimes dangerous) side effects. This is of course the case with junk food and snacks, but it’s also true for healthy foods, like vegetables, fruits, superfoods, and yes, even water. It’s also true for dairy products, as there are some weird things that can happen to your body when you have too much dairy.

In the last few years, there has been a negative bubble around dairy products, with many people thinking that consuming any dairy is bad for you, no matter what. That’s not true for everyone! According to Healthline, there are pros and cons to consuming diary products — it really depends on your body and the intake amount. Dairy in small portions should only have negative effects if you have an allergy to it. Otherwise, eating it in the correct amount probably isn’t going to hurt you. It’s only when you start overeating (or drinking) dairy products that a risk to your health may develop. Below is a list of some things that can happen to you if you’re a daily consumer of dairy products:

1. Chronic digestive issues

Dairy is known to be a major culprit of many digestive issues, like leaky gut syndrome, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and IBS. Many people who have disorders like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease find that dairy aggravates their symptoms and the their health. While doctors still don’t know the cause of Crohn’s, some scientists believe there is a possible link between the dairy industry and the disease. According to Healthline, cows are infected with a microbe known as MAP, which is linked to Johne’s disease in cows (similar to a human with Crohn’s). When someone ingests beef or milk contaminated with MAP, they become infected with it as well — and it’s been found in people with Crohn’s quite often.

Research has found that sixty percent of adults can’t actually digest milk properly. People who are lactose intolerant can’t process lactose, which is the main sugar found in milk. The undigested sugars end up in the colon, where they ferment and cause symptoms like cramping, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea. According to ABC News, being able to digest milk is actually strange, because so many people can’t do it.

2. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease

A study from 2014 found that consuming a lot of dairy could be detrimental to your health, including causing an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The study found that women who drank three glasses of milk or more every day had a nearly doubled risk of death and cardiovascular disease. A man’s overall risk of death increased about 10 percent when they drank three or more glasses of milk daily. The lead author, Karl Michaelsson, a professor in the department of surgical sciences at Uppsala Unniversity in Sweden, said, “The study findings have, for myself, been strong enough to cut down on my milk consumption.” Keep in mind that these findings were never considered fully concrete and more research was deemed necessary.

3. Increased cancer risk

That same 2014 study found that women who drank three glasses of milk or more every day had a 44 percent increased risk of cancer compared to women who drank less than one glass per day. The study said that middle-aged people who eat a diet high in animal proteins from milk, meat, and cheese are more likely to die of cancer than someone who eats a low-protein diet.

Some studies have also found that a high dairy intake can be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. One study said that high dairy intakes increased the risk by 32 percent.

4. More headaches

If you experience frequent headaches or migraines, it might be because you’re consuming too much dairy. According to Dr. Ronald Hoffman, casein, which makes up 78.7 percent of all the protein in milk, is a major trigger for migraines and other kinds of headaches. And Dr. Mark Khorsandi told Bustle something similar, saying, “Dairy is actually included as one of the ‘dirty dozen’ when it comes to headache and migraine triggers.”

5. More acne

Research has found evidence that a lot of milk can cause acne. Studies say that higher rates of acne are found in those who drink more milk, as milk can increase the hormones that increase sebum production, skin cell growth, and aggravate acne. One study found that people who drank more milk as teenagers had higher rates of blemishes. Two follow-up studies found similar results: that those who drank more than two servings of milk each day were 20 percent more likely to suffer from acne than those who drank less than one serving.

The takeaway? Dairy might not be as bad for you as you think. However, if your body is telling you that it doesn’t like dairy products, then maybe cut it out or at least decrease the amount you eat. If you’re not sure, definitely go see a doctor.