The Hidden Dangers of Dairy in the DASH and Paleo Diets

You’re following a diet that’s supposed to help—maybe it’s the DASH diet for blood pressure or the Paleo diet to reduce processed food. But if your meals still include dairy, you might be unknowingly triggering inflammation, gut issues, and autoimmune flares.

Dairy is often included in these diets as a source of calcium, protein, or “ancestral” nutrition, but emerging science and clinical evidence suggest it can do more harm than good—especially for people with chronic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, or digestive issues.

This article reveals the hidden risks of dairy in two of the most popular diet plans and explains why the ASTR Diet, developed by Dr. Joseph Jacobs, offers a safer, anti-inflammatory approach.

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Why Is Dairy a Problem for Many People?

Dairy is a top trigger for food sensitivity, inflammation, and immune system activation. Even organic and “clean” forms like grass-fed butter, yogurt, or raw milk contain compounds that can be inflammatory in sensitive individuals.

Problematic components in dairy include:

• Casein: A milk protein that can trigger immune reactions and mimic gluten (Lerner & Matthias, 2015)

• Lactose: A sugar that many people can’t digest properly, leading to gas, bloating, and brain fog

• Hormones: Even organic milk contains natural estrogens that may disrupt hormonal balance

• IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor-1): Found in all dairy, linked to acne, inflammation, and cancer risk (Hoppe et al., 2006)

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The DASH Diet and Dairy: A Misguided Recommendation?

Overview of the DASH Diet
Designed to lower high blood pressure, the DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

What the science reveals:

• Studies show that dairy can raise inflammatory markers in people with lactose intolerance or dairy sensitivity (Malik et al., 2015)

• Low-fat dairy often contains additives and gums that further irritate the gut

• The link between calcium and bone health is weaker than once believed—greens and seeds offer safer, anti-inflammatory alternatives

Bottom line: While the DASH diet may reduce blood pressure, including dairy may worsen inflammation and digestion for many people—especially those with autoimmune or gut issues.

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The Paleo Diet and Dairy: A Contradiction?

Overview of the Paleo Diet
Meant to mimic ancestral eating, Paleo excludes grains, legumes, and processed foods. Some versions include grass-fed butter, ghee, or full-fat yogurt.

The contradiction:

• Dairy was not a part of Paleolithic human diets

• Even fermented or raw dairy can be inflammatory for those with leaky gut or autoimmune conditions

• Dairy can aggravate acne, eczema, joint pain, and fatigue in sensitive individuals
  (Campbell et al., 2020)

Bottom line: Including dairy in Paleo-style eating goes against the core purpose of reducing immune triggers and promoting gut healing.

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The Safer, Inflammation-Focused Alternative: The ASTR Diet

Created by Dr. Joseph Jacobs after his personal battle with cancer and chronic fatigue, the ASTR Diet is a comprehensive anti-inflammatory nutrition plan. It is completely dairy-free—not as a trend, but because clinical results show that removing dairy helps reduce pain, fatigue, skin issues, and autoimmune symptoms.

The ASTR Diet focuses on:

• Toxin-free, whole foods that nourish and heal

• Removal of dairy, gluten, refined grains, sugar, and inflammatory oils

• Support for gut repair, hormone balance, and detoxification

• Intermittent fasting and anti-inflammatory fats from plant sources

The ASTR Diet is outlined in Eat to Heal and is supported by a free health coach consultation to personalize your healing plan.

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Should You Cut Out Dairy?

You may benefit from removing dairy if you struggle with:

• Bloating or gas after meals

• Brain fog or fatigue

• Acne, eczema, or skin rashes

• Joint pain or stiffness

• Hashimoto’s, lupus, RA, or other autoimmune disorders

Even small amounts of dairy—like cheese, cream in coffee, or yogurt—can keep inflammation active in sensitive individuals.

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Heal Without the Inflammatory Baggage

📘 Get the tools to heal with Eat to Heal by Dr. Joseph Jacobs and schedule your free ASTR Diet health coach session to build a plan that actually works for your body.

👉 Book your free session now

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參考

• Campbell, A., Lutz, D., & Taylor, C. (2020). Dairy consumption and inflammation: A review of the evidence. Current Nutrition Reports, 9(2), 56–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-020-00300-6

• Heindel, J. J., Newbold, R., Schug, T. T. (2017). Endocrine disruptors and chronic disease. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 13(7), 421–434. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2017.51

• Hoppe, C., Mølgaard, C., Juul, A., & Michaelsen, K. F. (2006). High intakes of milk, but not meat, increase serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in 8-year-old boys. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 60(3), 382–386. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602325

• Lerner, A., & Matthias, T. (2015). Rheumatologic and neurologic autoimmunity induced by milk proteins. Autoimmunity Reviews, 14(7), 487–489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2015.02.007

• Malik, V. S., Sun, Q., van Dam, R. M., & Hu, F. B. (2015). Dairy consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Nutrients, 7(9), 7310–7331. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7095320