The Kaufmann Diet and Dairy

Are dairy products OK for the Kaufmann Diet?

One interesting thing about the Kaufmann Diet is how it has stayed the same for many years. This is because it works!

While other diet trends have come and gone, the Kaufmann Antifungal program has largely stayed the same. Certainly, the tenants of the diet have stayed the same: Once you address the role of fungi, yeast, and their poisonous byproducts via diet, symptoms often subside or clear up altogether.

While the foundational tenants of the diet have stayed the same, Doug has seen fit to change certain components of the diet over the years, as new research emerges. Dairy products are a good example of this.

For years, the only dairy products allowed on the Kaufmann Diets were grass-fed butter and plain yogurt. Butter is virtually all fat, containing none of the lactose that milk or even heavy cream contains, while plain yogurt contained the beneficial bacteria necessary to keep the gut healthy.

“-ose” Means Sugar

The suffix of words can be important; in this case, the suffix “-ose” means sugar. You see it in words like sucrose (table sugar), fructose (sugar in fruit), and glucose (sugar in the blood).

Lactose is simply the sugar found in milk. That’s right, milk contains sugar! Many people are lactose intolerant, meaning they cannot digest the sugar found in milk properly. For this reason––lactose, or the sugar found in milk––most dairy products were largely excluded on the Kaufmann Diet for many years.

The Revised Kaufmann Diets

Some dairy products, however, contain far more fat than lactose. Products like cream cheese, heavy cream, and ghee all contain far more fat than lactose; for this reason, they have been added to the Kaufmann 1 Diet, to the exclusion of all others.

After a time on The Kaufmann 1 Diet, many people graduate to The Kaufmann 2 Diet, which reintroduces some foods to the diet, including a limited number of dairy products. These are products like cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and other hard cheeses. These cheese are often higher in protein and fat and lower in sugar.

What To Avoid, What to Look For

Some dairy products should likely always be avoided. Particularly, kefir, milk, and any kinds of cheese with mold. Soft cheeses should likely be avoided, as should processed cheese products.

When you are shopping for dairy products that are allowed on the Kaufmann Diets, it is best to find organic products that come from grass-fed cows. This is for a few reasons; organic dairy will contain none of the hormones or antibiotics used in conventionally raised cattle. Grass-fed dairy will be much high in nutrients and beneficial fats, like omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid than cows fed grain. These products are always preferable to conventionally raised dairy.

Finally, dairy products should likely be enjoyed in moderation on the Kaufmann Diet. These foods should never be the cornerstone of your diet. The focus of vegetables, and lean proteins instead, adding dairy products in sparingly for flavor.