Chicago winters are legendary. On top of the freezing temperatures, you also get freezing wind gusts and sometimes a slap by a snowstorm. My sinus infections were a result of living in Windy City, and possibly a bit of luck or a strange genetic tendency to develop sinus infections after minor colds.
I was often prescribed different antibiotics by doctors. This caused me to feel sicker and weaker, and my stomach would become more upset. I felt depressed and thought that I had reached the end of my life.
My uncle is a Swiss scientist and researcher. He told me that my condition must be related to dairy products. This was over a decade ago, so the thought that dairy products could cause sinus infections was unbelievable to me. Our great-grandparents and grandparents drank milk, and they weren’t fine…
This idea appealed to me so I tried it. I felt amazing after five days without dairy products. Although my congestion was less severe, it wasn’t completely gone. It took me another week to notice all the symptoms of sinus infection and chronic congestion disappear. There was not a single pill taken!
Does this mean that dairy products are not good for you? The answer is, it depends.
Casein, which is found in all milk-based products, is the culprit for sinus infections and chronic congestion. It promotes Candida Albicans growth, which is a type of flora which tells your body to make nasal mucus.
Research shows that cheeses contain the highest levels of casein. Goat milk is less allergenic than cow’s milk and has a lower digestibility. Goat milk may contain casein, but it is not always recommended.
It is difficult to eliminate all dairy products completely from your diet. This is especially true if they are hidden in soups, pastry, and ice cream, which we cannot imagine our lives without.
If your sinus infection is caused by dairy products, you can reduce the intake of dairy products, particularly cheese.
It is important to experiment with different products and see which ones have the worst effect on your condition. Try going without dairy products for a week to see if your sinus infection disappears. Try adding milk to your sinus infection if it persists.
If severe congestion recurs, you will need to decide whether to live with it or cut out dairy completely. You can try adding some cheese gradually to see how it feels. Cheese is usually the main culprit in sinus infections or severe congestion.
What about our ancestors? They ate a lot of dairy, and they were OK. We don’t know for certain if they were okay, or if they simply assumed that many illnesses were part of daily life.
However, dairy may not have caused any allergies in our great-grandparents who weren’t exposed to as many chemicals and pollutants today. We are now surrounded by chemicals and pollutants, which can lead to illness.
We are the only mammal that continues to drink milk even after being weaned.
