Milk is said to be one of the top eight food allergies in America. Most people tend to believe they have a lactose intolerance, when in fact they may actually be allergic to dairy all together!

A lactose intolerance is not the same thing as being allergic to milk or other dairy products. Lactose intolerance is a result of not being able to digest the sugar LACTOSE found in milk. If this is happening to you, then you may still  be able to drink lactose free milk but may want to stray from heavy dairy products such as ice cream or yogurt.

A dairy allergy may affect you like any other allergy. Symptoms include nausea, headaches, diarrhea, swelling of lips, tongue and face, and abdominal pain. Having a milk allergy may be a genetic condition. Only recently modern times, have humans included dairy into their diets and our bodies are still trying to adjust to it. By the way, humans are the only mammals on earth that drinks another mammals milk after infancy.

 If you are unsure whether you have a milk allergy or think you are lactose intolerant, schedule an appointment with your physician. If you test positive for the allergen, it is important to exercise a good amount of caution with regard to the foods you consume. Milk can be found in unsuspecting foods like canned tuna or chewing gum. These items contain the proteins found in milk and will affect you just the same as consuming milk on its own!