Can I Consume Ghee If I Have a Dairy Allergy?
This depends on the nature of your allergy. I would need to know a few things before I could answer this whole-heartedly. Is it a lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy, for instance? And how is the discomfort showing up in your system?
The Nature of Allergies and Intolerances
Intolerances and allergies don’t appear in isolation. So in order to work out the root cause of your allergy or intolerance, I would need to do a consultation. But let me answer your question, and with this info you can work out what’s best for you in the meantime. Some allergies one is born with, so this could be a genetic predisposition, others are acquired through wear and tear while others could be a response to a build up and aggravation of doshas, or toxicity circulating the body.
Dairy is a funny one though!
Having said all this, dairy is a funny one… so as I have mentioned before here, today’s most common type of cow (certainly in the West) is a hybrid which produces A1 type milk. I’ve been taught that milk from this cow will cause gentle inflammation in all our systems, because it is an overbred species, whose dairy is not recognised easily by our digestive system. The milk used by PIOR Living in their Ghruta, on the other hand, comes from an original ancient breed of A2 cows - the gir cow - who have not been genetically played with, and whose milk contains the proteins our body knows how to digest. There are then two main types of difficulties people face with dairy: lactose intolerance and dairy allergy and they are different.Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a digestive system problem. Lactose is a form of sugar that is found in dairy products. And an intolerance appears if one’s body has trouble producing lactase (the enzyme needed to break down this sugar). So rather than it being broken down in the stomach and small intestine as is normal, it reaches the colon undigested, where bacteria has a go at it, causing bloating and discomfort. There are said to be four types of lactose intolerance: primary, an aging-related weakening of the digestive system; secondary, as a result of an illness or weakening of the system due to injury; congenital, this is a passed on genetic imbalance; and developmental, which is often temporary and found in babies born prematurely. As you can see, none of them are intrinsic to someone’s system, they are all down to something affecting them. This doesn’t diminish the discomfort though, so until the root cause has been dealt with, it is a good idea to avoid lactose.
Dairy allergy
Dairy allergy provokes an immune system response. So when this is the case, the body thinks the dairy is a pathogen or unwanted intruder, rather than a pal coming to give some nourishment and say hi. In the wake of an intrusion, the immune system goes into attack and releases substances, such as histamine, that will cause an allergic reaction. Both a lactose intolerance and dairy allergy could show up as nasuea, diarrhoea, bloating and cramps. But a diary allergy could also rear its head as a rash or hives, inflammation of throat, wheezing and swelling. At worst an allergy can result in anaphylactic shock.
The process of making Ghruta
The process of making ghruta - means that the lactose and beta casein - which are the disturbing qualities of the dairy product (as mentioned above) are removed. So those with a lactose intolerance can consume it :)Â
Judging for Yourself how It Suits You
With all this info, if you don’t have a serious dairy allergy, then I would recommend trying the ghruta and seeing what effect it has on you. I would also suggest you do a gentle cleanse, to help rebalance your system and get rid of any excess ama or circulating toxicity, which could be causing further irritation. Because if you’re able to consume ghruta - especially if you have a vata, pitta or vata pitta / pitta vata constitution - then this is a beautiful supportive medicine for you. It is also a spirit-lifting thing to consume a product from these types of cows, made with this amount of love and care.
Love, Selina
By Selina Van Orden