Stomach cramps after having ghee??

[megan722]

I'm on day 6 of my first whole 30. I've been doing good so far. I've suspected that dairy hasn't agreed with me for some time (frequent stomach aches after having coffee with creamer,etc). I made a new recipe today for lunch that was sweet potatoes with apples that had ghee on top and baked for 1 hour. I ate it with my lunch. About 30-45 mins later, I got the same stomach ache I get after having coffee creamer. I haven't had a stomach ache since starting whole 30. I've had sweet potatoes and apples on whole 30 but this was the first time having ghee. I thought if you have a dairy intolerance, that ghee won't bother you since the casein is removed. Could it still be bothering me though?? Should I cut it out completely or try again another day and see if it happens again? I made a lot of these sweet potatoes/apples and was planning on having more tomorrow with breakfast (although my 19 month old just ate a ton of them!) Thanks!

[Tom Denham]

It is rare for someone who is sensitive to dairy to have problems with ghee, but it happens occasionally. It might be best to cut ghee entirely during your Whole30 and then test reintroducing it later. I would probably try cooking something else with ghee first just to make sure it bothered me before I cut it out, but I don't know how badly it bothered you. 

[Noodlette]

My mom can't take ghee for some reason, even though she eats dairy. It really upsets her stomach. She lives with us and I do most of the cooking (especially now while I'm doing Whole30). I prefer ghee to coconut oil but that's the oil everyone seems to handle well, so I've had to adjust. I've been using duck fat lately which I like best of all! Yum. Hope this helps.

[megan722]

Thanks for the input. Looking back at my diet pre whole30, I consumed a LOT of dairy. Like a LOT. I was having creamer with coffee (haha-I really think I used more cream than coffee!). I had 2-3 cups (big) of coffee a day. I frequently snacked on cheese and had yogurt at least once a day along with sour cream, butter, etc. I haven't had any dairy at all for 5 days straight until the ghee. The stomachache was not nearly as bad as the ones I used to get and did not last long (15 mins)  I wonder if maybe it's just my stomach getting used to even a little dairy?! I'll try ghee again another day and see. This has already shown me that I will not be reintroducing dairy anytime soon though!

[praxisproject]

I have big trouble with dairy and I am pretty careful with my ghee intake. I only buy organic commercially made ghee as I'm not sure I can do a good enough job making it myself and I've had more trouble with some non-organic brands.

 

In case you do have a reaction next time, don't give up on it altogether, the brand might be a factor.

 

If you have leaky gut, the dairy can make it more leaky, so it can make you feel sicker. For me it usually hits a few days after I eat it, rather than immediately, but for some people it's very sudden.

 

Duck fat is a great alternative, as is goose fat

[CassieS]

I have a pretty hefty dairy intolerance and I can't handle ghee...like, at all. I found that not eating ghee doesn't really bother me that much because coconut oil is fine for my recipes. But I'm just letting you know, it is possible..and if you are finding that it is bothering you, it's really not worth it.

[MittalG]

Well, I think ghee is more heat stable, it's pretty much non-dairy at this point so suitable to those intolerant to lactose or casein, it won't generate much of an insulin response unlike butter and since the milk solids are removed it's therefore less inflammatory. Their are many myths abouts ghee. BUT IF YOU CANT HANDLE WITH GHEE, BETTER TAKE AN EXPERT OPINION.