As with gluten, milk products are getting a lot of ‘noise’. For a long time it had a bad rap as one of the key contributors to heart disease. We now know better, and for many people, milk products are a healthy food.

However …

For some of you, removing dairy altogether, or at least switching to A2 dairy, might be a good idea as well.

Did you have recurring ear infections as a child and had dairy in your diet?

We now know that recurring ear infections in young children is a sign of a milk protein intolerance, creating a -- you guessed it -- inflammatory response.

That means that, if you had recurring ear infections as a child and had milk products in your diet, your immune system has been responding to the dairy for a long time, creating more inflammation.

Interestingly enough, not all dairy is the same. You may have seen ads for A2 milk and thought it was just a marketing ploy.

Not so.

Dairy proteins come in 2 types:

• A1 protein - which is produced by cows that originate from Northern Europe: Holstein, Friesian, Ayrshire, and British Shorthorn.
• A2 protein - which is produced by cows that originate from the Channel Islands and southern France: Guernsey, Jersey, Charolais, and Limousin cows.

There isn't a lot of evidence that A2 milk causes less problems than A1. But if you like your milk products and don't want to go dairy-free, it could be worth a try.

Goat and sheep milk products also contain A2 protein, so might be an option if you’re struggling to give up dairy.

If want to go completely dairy-free, switch your milk products (milk, cream, yoghurt, cheese) to nut-based products and rice milk. But avoid soy milk. Soy contains phyto-oestrogens. You already produce higher than normal levels of oestrogens, so you don’t want to add more!