Note: All comments about the raw milk and experiment and migraines are appreciated. And they amounted to much better than I got from physicians chat groups (though I was offered prescriptions).
I received dozens of emails and do not plan to respond to them, though many have been educational and helpful and the reading will take some time.
Raw milk has probiotics which could kill off some infection in the gut producing a herx reaction. After the reaction resolves, if you notice improvements in your health, that is the indication. Otherwise not.
Looks like a few other people mentioned this too, but I wanted to also chime in that sometimes dairy intolerances go away with raw grassfed A2 milk. The A2 part is much less known than the rest.
Try kefir. It is fermented (like yogurt). I've been consuming raw dairy for more than 20 years (we have the largest raw milk dairy in the U.S. in my county). I wouldn't think butter should give you a problem. The fat from ruminants is the healthiest of all, and seed oils are the most unhealthy. Or you might try goat (the yummiest kefir to my taste). I no longer consume unfermented dairy, so for me, it is kefir, cultured butter, and cheese, all raw.
Never heard of migraines after raw milk but who knows, maybe some allergy for you? I could never drink pasteurized without intolerance problems but have been great with raw. I drink about a half gallon a day. Another consideration you may want to look in to... is the raw milk A1 or A2 or a mix? Only A2A2 doesn't bother my gut so maybe something to try.
Oh, that painting! It's gorgeous! The lion with his head in Daniel's lap. It gives me chills.
Sorry to hear about the migraines. I used to have them All. The. Time. What a terrible time it was! Then I quit my job. Poof! In the last 5.5 years I've had, maybe, 2 mild ones. I hope David AuBuchon is right and it's your body healing itself with the help of the milk. I'd like to be able to try raw milk. I don't know of anyone in our area selling it, though. I hope the next batch is not so hard on your head.
You might try A2A2 raw milk. Far superior to “normal” raw milk. The A2 cows has an extra protein that predigests the milk so that even “lactose intolerant” people can drink it. I have 2 A2A2 Jersey cows and our milk is exceptional according to people who have tried it.
Could it be the extra hot cocoa that triggered your migraines and not the raw milk itself? Chocolate is a migraine trigger for me. Try avoiding cocoa during your third try and see if that makes a difference.
Regarding the milk, talk to Trent! There is A1 and A2 milk from different breeds & he has some research on A2 being the kind of milk that is less allergy related. He has talked about it with me, but I cant remember the specific details.
For some people, it can be the milk protein (casein) not the lactose that causes digestive issues. To avoid that possibility, look for A2/A2 raw milk. A2/A2 protein is tolerated more easily than A2/A1 milk and is becoming more widely available.
You've mentioned being knocked out of commission by migraines on at least one other occasions. I am very sorry that you have suffered from this sometimes debilitating condition.
Rather than pinning down the cause directly it might be helpful to rule out some causes. That would include "leaky gut" (intestinal hyperpermeability) where food crosses into lymphatic system or bloodstream and triggers an autoimmune reaction. The initial trigger isn't an allergy to the food itself but what is happening to that food. My spouse gets now migraines when she eats certain foods that she historically did not react to (eggs and tree nuts).
And it could be related to the specific combination of foods consumed. Consumption of fat AND highly refined carbs at the same time has been suggested to increase "leaky gut" as distinguished from consuming a predominantly fatty or high carbohydrate meal.
I too am mildly lactose intolerant. I in have no issues with raw milk and have consuming it for years. Try starting out with smaller amounts. I buy a gallon and then split it up into pint jars and freeze them. I take one out when needed. It freezes perfectly and there is no difference in taste when defrosted. If this doesn’t work try drinking A2 milk. That gives me no issues at all even if I consume more than usual.
Besides lactose intolerance, many are are intolerant of the "bad" forms of beta casein. If your farmer has NOT made sure all his milking cows have A2A2 beta casein genetics, then his farm's milk will be contain some of the problematic beta casein variants. (A1 being the most common of these.) These non-A2 variants cause many problems among milk drinkers who have imperfect gut linings.
When I lived on farm-fresh milk and maintained my grass-fed micro-dairy farm, our herd was all A2A2. I was shocked that many of my fellow dairy farmers, such as Mark McAffee, refused to prioritize getting the bad beta casein genetics out of their herds (& milk). Preferring to believe that the "magic" of "raw" (we should say "farm fresh") solves everything. It does not. People with leaky guts end up with beta-caseomorphins leaking into their bloodstream when the milk contains non-A2 beta casein. The only way to fix this is to insist on cows that are A2A2.
It's hard to get a man to see something when his paycheck depends upon him not seeing it. For a dairy farmer to face the A1/A2 issue, he has to be willing to admit that his milk is harming a significant fraction of those consuming it, and admit that he needs to get rid of a large percentage of his cows. Instead of facing this, most farmers go into denial. In my experience.
(Edited at add missing NOT above, 12:06 PM EST 12/16)
Note: All comments about the raw milk and experiment and migraines are appreciated. And they amounted to much better than I got from physicians chat groups (though I was offered prescriptions).
I received dozens of emails and do not plan to respond to them, though many have been educational and helpful and the reading will take some time.
Raw milk has probiotics which could kill off some infection in the gut producing a herx reaction. After the reaction resolves, if you notice improvements in your health, that is the indication. Otherwise not.
Looks like a few other people mentioned this too, but I wanted to also chime in that sometimes dairy intolerances go away with raw grassfed A2 milk. The A2 part is much less known than the rest.
Looking very forward to Suddenly Dude... Dude where's my ethics?
Try kefir. It is fermented (like yogurt). I've been consuming raw dairy for more than 20 years (we have the largest raw milk dairy in the U.S. in my county). I wouldn't think butter should give you a problem. The fat from ruminants is the healthiest of all, and seed oils are the most unhealthy. Or you might try goat (the yummiest kefir to my taste). I no longer consume unfermented dairy, so for me, it is kefir, cultured butter, and cheese, all raw.
Never heard of migraines after raw milk but who knows, maybe some allergy for you? I could never drink pasteurized without intolerance problems but have been great with raw. I drink about a half gallon a day. Another consideration you may want to look in to... is the raw milk A1 or A2 or a mix? Only A2A2 doesn't bother my gut so maybe something to try.
Oh, that painting! It's gorgeous! The lion with his head in Daniel's lap. It gives me chills.
Sorry to hear about the migraines. I used to have them All. The. Time. What a terrible time it was! Then I quit my job. Poof! In the last 5.5 years I've had, maybe, 2 mild ones. I hope David AuBuchon is right and it's your body healing itself with the help of the milk. I'd like to be able to try raw milk. I don't know of anyone in our area selling it, though. I hope the next batch is not so hard on your head.
The last paragraph! 🙏
Let's live, work hard and laugh, and make the most of the time we have here, and build great friendships.
-----
I hope I added enough commas to the last sentence to make some people happy ;-)
You might try A2A2 raw milk. Far superior to “normal” raw milk. The A2 cows has an extra protein that predigests the milk so that even “lactose intolerant” people can drink it. I have 2 A2A2 Jersey cows and our milk is exceptional according to people who have tried it.
Could it be the extra hot cocoa that triggered your migraines and not the raw milk itself? Chocolate is a migraine trigger for me. Try avoiding cocoa during your third try and see if that makes a difference.
Regarding the milk, talk to Trent! There is A1 and A2 milk from different breeds & he has some research on A2 being the kind of milk that is less allergy related. He has talked about it with me, but I cant remember the specific details.
For some people, it can be the milk protein (casein) not the lactose that causes digestive issues. To avoid that possibility, look for A2/A2 raw milk. A2/A2 protein is tolerated more easily than A2/A1 milk and is becoming more widely available.
You've mentioned being knocked out of commission by migraines on at least one other occasions. I am very sorry that you have suffered from this sometimes debilitating condition.
Rather than pinning down the cause directly it might be helpful to rule out some causes. That would include "leaky gut" (intestinal hyperpermeability) where food crosses into lymphatic system or bloodstream and triggers an autoimmune reaction. The initial trigger isn't an allergy to the food itself but what is happening to that food. My spouse gets now migraines when she eats certain foods that she historically did not react to (eggs and tree nuts).
And it could be related to the specific combination of foods consumed. Consumption of fat AND highly refined carbs at the same time has been suggested to increase "leaky gut" as distinguished from consuming a predominantly fatty or high carbohydrate meal.
The Dude abides. All the Dude ever wanted was his freedom back. This is what happens when you try to poke a stranger in the arm!
I too am mildly lactose intolerant. I in have no issues with raw milk and have consuming it for years. Try starting out with smaller amounts. I buy a gallon and then split it up into pint jars and freeze them. I take one out when needed. It freezes perfectly and there is no difference in taste when defrosted. If this doesn’t work try drinking A2 milk. That gives me no issues at all even if I consume more than usual.
Besides lactose intolerance, many are are intolerant of the "bad" forms of beta casein. If your farmer has NOT made sure all his milking cows have A2A2 beta casein genetics, then his farm's milk will be contain some of the problematic beta casein variants. (A1 being the most common of these.) These non-A2 variants cause many problems among milk drinkers who have imperfect gut linings.
The definitive work on this is The Devil In the Milk. https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/devil-in-the-milk/
When I lived on farm-fresh milk and maintained my grass-fed micro-dairy farm, our herd was all A2A2. I was shocked that many of my fellow dairy farmers, such as Mark McAffee, refused to prioritize getting the bad beta casein genetics out of their herds (& milk). Preferring to believe that the "magic" of "raw" (we should say "farm fresh") solves everything. It does not. People with leaky guts end up with beta-caseomorphins leaking into their bloodstream when the milk contains non-A2 beta casein. The only way to fix this is to insist on cows that are A2A2.
It's hard to get a man to see something when his paycheck depends upon him not seeing it. For a dairy farmer to face the A1/A2 issue, he has to be willing to admit that his milk is harming a significant fraction of those consuming it, and admit that he needs to get rid of a large percentage of his cows. Instead of facing this, most farmers go into denial. In my experience.
(Edited at add missing NOT above, 12:06 PM EST 12/16)