12 good — and bad — things that happen when you cut dairy out of your diet (2024)

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1. It might help your skin.

Interestingly enough, there is a connection between the consumption of dairy and lactose products and the way our skin reacts to it.

A 2013report from the American Academy of Dermatology suggests a link between our diet and skin breakouts. In the paper,Dr. Whitney Bowe, MD, FAAD and board-certified dermatologist, noted that although the tie to dairy products and skin care may be weak, "[the] hormones and growth factors in milk might play a role, with the strongest association being skim milk."

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2. You might lose some weight.

By no means should cutting out dairy be your weight loss method, but it may just happen on its own. When you're eating dairy on a regular basis, you're often consuming it in such a way that doesn't leave your body completely fulfilled, so you go back for more food an hour later.

The culprit appears to be the difference in eating full-fat and low-fat dairy products, the latter of which can leave you feeling unsatisfied.

"Certain fatty acids in dairy may be linked to fullness," nutritional epidemiology professorKatherine Tucker, PhD, told Reader's Digest. "When you eat fat-free versions of milk, yogurt, and cheese, you may feel less satisfied (and eat more later)."

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3. It can help with bloating.

Although some side-effects of a dairy intolerance are more obvious (severe stomach pain, diarrhea, stomach cramps), others might only feel bloated or gassy.

Since these effects aren't necessarily debilitating, people continue to eat lactose routinely without major defects. What they don't realize is that the bloat they're experiencing may come from their lack of ability to properly digest dairy products regularly in their system.

Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, CNS, DC and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition points to this as the main reason behind bloating after dairy consumption: "For many people, due to excessive gas in the intestines, it can create bloating. There might also be inadequate protein digestion, meaning an inability to break down sugar and carbohydrates fully, which creates imbalances in gut bacteria."

Read more: 14 quick and easy ways to reduce bloating

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4. You may need to find additional sources of nutrients.

Dairy has some really important nutrients and positive dietary benefits that people who are lactose or dairy intolerant can miss out on if they don't pay close attention.

It can be somewhat challenging to find the same amount of certain nutrients — like dairy and vitamin D — in such a concentrated area when you're not eating dairy regularly. Registered dietitianCynthia Sass, MPH, RD, told Health that plant-based milk and orange juice are good resources for calcium and vitaminD, but "they're low in protein, so you may need to bump your intake of foods like eggs, pulses or salmon to maintain your total protein intake."

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5. Cutting out dairy might help with headaches.

Many have considered this a myth, but nutritionist Frida Harju-Westman says dairy and lactose ingestion may be related to those pesky headaches you seem to get for no particular reason.

She explains to Cosmopolitan that it has to do, "with a natural chemical that's often found in cheeses, tyramine, which can for some people contribute to the onset of migraines and headaches."

Harju-Westman says, however, that one of the possible side effects of migraines is vitamin B2 deficiency, which is found in most dairy products. The nutritionist recommends eating mushrooms, almonds,and spinach as a considerable source of B2 in lieu of dairy consumption.

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6. It might not be great for your immune system.

Harju-Westman says"you may find that you feel weaker and may pick up unwanted illnesses more easily,"when cutting out dairy.

The reason? Cutting out dairy means you get less B12, which is important within your immune system and helping your body fight off bacteria.

Harju-Westman says you can combat this by taking a B12 supplement and eating foods fortified with the vitamin.

Read more: This is what fast food does to your immune system

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7. It might help stabilize your mood.

NYC-based naturopathic doctor Dr. Serena Goldsteintells Bustle that "you may have less mood swings, and overall clarity and focus," after cutting out dairy.

Similarly, Harju-Westman tells Cosmopolitan that the high number of hormones in regular cow's milk can add to your own hormone count within the body.

"These additional hormones, when mixed with your own, may cause mood swings that you might find are alleviated when you cut out dairy from your diet," she says.

So when you're feeling extra moody, take into consideration how much milk you've consumed for the day, you may be surprised with the direct impact of your day to day morale.

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8. You may feel less lethargic.

You may not be ready to run a marathon quite yet, but your weekly training routine might feel easier to you once you get rid of dairy.

Dairy products, especially milk, are loaded with amino acids, which, according to Nicole Caldwell, senior editor of Green Matters and CEO of Better Farm, "makes you want to lie on the couch and watch football for the rest of the day."

She also cites dairy as an "opiate producer," meaning it calms our bodies and puts humans to sleep. This idea can cause our energy levels to decrease everyday and seriously affect our ability to be active and get work done on a daily basis.

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9. You might feel a bit constipated.

While eliminating bloat and gas may be a big win when cutting dairy out of your diet, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be easier for you to poop. Probiotics are major in dairy and lactose products, so the absence of them within your body also means the absence of a regular bowel movement.

"Your digestive tract contains many different types of bacteria, both good and bad," Harju-Westman tells Cosmo. "If you go dairy-free, then it's important to replace your natural yogurt with a dairy-free option that still contains live active cultures, and you should perhaps consider taking probiotic tablets in order to help keep the gut stable."

Caldwell also suggests trying sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, kombucha and other pickled foods for a good source of probiotics other than tablets.

Read more:10 ways your body is telling you you're running low on key vitamins

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10. You might get withdrawal symptoms.

You are cutting an entire food group out of your diet, so your body might take some adjusting before it can function normally without dairy. The side-effects of this may vary depending on how much dairy was regularly in your diet and your dependency on it for certain nutrients or probiotics.

Although the side-effects may not last long, Harju-Westman says people who cut dairy out cold-turkey "may find that [they] are more tired than normal and may even have trouble sleeping."

Don't give up on it quickly if you begin to feel these things. Once these side effects subside, you may feel better overall and wish to continue without dairy in your diet.

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11. Overall, you'll feel a difference in your body.

Although all of the effects above are true and have been studied, most regular people who cut out dairy state that they feel an overall change, but didn't feel that it was tangible.

Many celebrities have ditched dairy completely and speak highly of this life change. Jessica Biel had previously stated that she "just feels better," while Margot Robbie told Elle UK that she typically doesn't eat it when she's filming, and of course. Khloe Kardashian alsopublicly came out and said she lost 11 pounds after two weeks of no dairy.

Generally, making this change can be life-altering and massively improve your quality of life if you're up for the initial challenge. It's completely doable and a very viable (and arguably necessary) option for those who have any physical health aversion to it.

Nutrition coach Amina AlTai told Bustle that "you can live completely healthfully without dairy in your life," she has done it for many many years. She does note that, "dairy products are rich in calcium, potassium, Vitamin D, and protein," but as she has found that it is easy to find those sources from other food options, like nuts and beans, and it's very sustainable to get your Vitamin D level from an oral supplement.

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