Truth or Myth: dairy increases mucus?

[RNsRWe]

I heard all my life that if you have a cold, you should avoid dairy products because they increase mucus production. That if you're already 'phlegmmy' you shouldn't have any dairy.

And then an acquaintance tells me that that's all horse-poo, that the latest research indicates all that is either a myth or old wives' tale, or whatever. I only listened because he's quite the track and field athlete, and seems he'd know if dairy did increase the secretions; he swears by all dairy products and doesn't avoid them when sick and never had an issue with extra mucus production.

Anyone know for sure, not just what they believe because they were told this? What's a reliable source to find out if it's FACT, or CR*P? Would love to know!

[czyja, MSN, RN]

Humans weren't meant to eat it, although the dairy industry with their billion dollar advertising and the government have brainwashed into thinking it's a "food group" necessary for human life.

Tweety you are otherwise a genius and a total stud so I am hesitant to take umbrage at your post BUT--

While I agree that the food group junk of the gov't is complete hogwash promulgated at the behest of the dairy lobby I strongly disagree that we are not "meant" to eat dairy.

Cattle are domestic beasts - they did not exist as we know them before us and they would not exist without us. Humans have bred them for millenia and we are in a deep evolutionary relationship with them. Hundreds of millions of people in India (literally) eat no animal products except for dairy without ill effect.

Humans have evolved with cattle - this is evidenced (albeit weakly) by the fact that many humans from cattle herding regions (Indians, Europeans, etc) produce lactase as adults and can digest milk. Most east asians do not produce lactase post-weaning - this is noteworthy because east asians are not traditional cattle herders. So, the milk of cow is "meant" for us. Calves are happily weaned and cows keep giving. Some of us are evolved to digest milk as adults.

Disclaimer - I grew up on a dairy farm, the last of 5 generations of dairy farmers. That said, I never drink milk (and never did) as I find it's taste and texture to be quite unpleasant. Cheese is another story....

Oh, I also think Americans probably eat way to much dairy for their own good and that modern industrial dairy farms are a travesty to both human and animal well being. Like all animal products a little goes a long way...

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

After santhony44's message, I decided to Google 'John Wayne colon' . Turned up this site (Snopes) and it was interesting reading:

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/gruesome/fecalcolon.asp

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Just drank two glasses of ice cold milk and a strawberry Nutri-grain bar.

steph

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Tweety . . . . ice cold milk (1 %) and a fistful of warm, homemade Tollhouse cookies. . . . . how can you diss that?? :D

My daughter has gone vegan - took her awhile but she loves soy milk now although not all brands.

We drink about 1 1/2 gallons of milk a day here (dh and two sons and me occasionally).

As to the mucus . . . . I still hold to the "myth" idea.

steph

Milk and cookies..........hmmmmmm.........

I'm not saying that it isn't a myth. However, some people do produce excessive mucous with dairy consumption.

I use unsweetened soy "milk" in my cereal. I don't see how people can drink it by the glass though. Yuk.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Tweety you are otherwise a genius and a total stud so I am hesitant to take umbrage at your post BUT--

While I agree that the food group junk of the gov't is complete hogwash promulgated at the behest of the dairy lobby I strongly disagree that we are not "meant" to eat dairy.

Cattle are domestic beasts - they did not exist as we know them before us and they would not exist without us. Humans have bred them for millenia and we are in a deep evolutionary relationship with them. Hundreds of millions of people in India (literally) eat no animal products except for dairy without ill effect.

Humans have evolved with cattle - this is evidenced (albeit weakly) by the fact that many humans from cattle herding regions (Indians, Europeans, etc) produce lactase as adults and can digest milk. Most east asians do not produce lactase post-weaning - this is noteworthy because east asians are not traditional cattle herders. So, the milk of cow is "meant" for us. Calves are happily weaned and cows keep giving. Some of us are evolved to digest milk as adults.

Disclaimer - I grew up on a dairy farm, the last of 5 generations of dairy farmers. That said, I never drink milk (and never did) as I find it's taste and texture to be quite unpleasant. Cheese is another story....

Oh, I also think Americans probably eat way to much dairy for their own good and that modern industrial dairy farms are a travesty to both human and animal well being. Like all animal products a little goes a long way...

I understand that humans have drank milk probably for 8 to 10 thousand years. That we've evolved to produce lactase still doesn't mean that it's a necessary food group for human survival.

We can digest Twinkies, but that doesn't mean a thing.

Even the renowned Dr. Spock quit recommending cows milk. That Americans, Canadians and Europeans buy into the idea that people have to milk and force it on their kids saying "you must have this to grow" is a testimony of the masterminds of the dairy industries lobbying. No offense to you and your family, this occurred long before you and I were born, because I grew up learning dairy is one of the four food groups necessary for life.

Also that we must have dairy to prevent osteoporsis doesn't ring true to me either, considering we're one of the top four dairy eating nations and one of the top four countries with the highest rate of osteoporosis.

I could go on and on and on, however, I decline to go further and thanks to anyone whose listened.

Disclaimer: milk is a good food and for many people, particularly the poor it's probably the most healthful food they eat, especially with the mandated supplements.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Just drank two glasses of ice cold milk and a strawberry Nutri-grain bar.

steph

Please tell me at least it was skim.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Please tell me at least it was skim.

I was really thirsty and it was 1 % . . . . I drink skim but my family won't. I'm lucky to have gotten them to drink 1 %.

As to soy . . . .my daughter drinks it out of a glass.

steph

[jerryz]

I was looking up the "dairy products cause mucus" topic, and ive come to the conclusion that lactose causes secretions to get thicker, hence making mucus more thicker. I would avoid dairy products if im sick with a cold and stick with lots of soups.

and to the people who think milk is a government conspiracy, we do need milk to grow, and its the easiest tool we have to get kids to grow. Kids need lots of protein, which makes anything grow, and milk is one of the highest in proteins. Although we could be telling jr to eat his egg whites if he wants to grow.

[kythe, LPN]

I won't call milk a "government conspiracy", but I do agree with Tweety that milk isn't a biological need. Many cultures around the world evolved as hunter/gatherer societies. They consumed primarily meat and fruits and vegetables, with grains and milk virtually non-existant. I'm not really sure what the idea behind the "5 basic food groups" really is, since there are many people even now who live quite well and are even healthier while disregarding this guideline entirely.

I have lived without milk for years due to an allergy, and my son is allergic to milk, wheat, and eggs. This realization has changed my entire perspective on diet and what our true needs are. If my family had lived in a traditional Native American tribe a few hundred years ago, we would have never known we were allergic to these foods because we would have never been exposed to them. Our health would have never suffered or been questioned. In todays society people often feel sorry for us, assume we must need to supplement (though I do supplement for different reasons), or see us as very strict and limited since we skip so-called "necessary" aspects of diet. I do think that many of our ideas on diet are culturally based, rather than biologically based.

[makes needs known]

When my children were babies I breast fed them. When they had a cold they were fussy and did not feed well. But they always wanted to nurse and if that was the way they were going to get fluids, milk is what they got.

When I've had a cold for a while, my nose gets so stuffed that I can't breathe through it. My mouth is dry from mouth breathing and my throat is so dry and parched from drinking gallons of water and hot tea, -warm,creamy cocoa is so soothing. And so is icecream. I'm not much of a milk drinker but when I've had a cold for a while, milk is very soothing to me.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

I am a milk adict.

"My name is Eriksoln and I'm a milkaholic".

I used to aviod milk when sick because, well, I was told to. I had bronchitis a number of times and always had to stop drinking it. It was the worst part of the sickness for me.

Now, I drink milk when feeling ill, and the recovery time/symptoms are none the worse for it. Its been a long time since I was really ill, years in fact. I drink milk daily, about 3 gallons a week. I have not had an asthma attack since I was 12.

[asuperpower]

No.

From Parent Life tips website: "Many parents believe that feeding a child milk while they have a cold will increase mucus production and make the cold worse. This, however, is not true. While dairy products may coat the back of the throat, they do not increase mucus production, and are therefore fine to consume during a cold.'