Chronic diarrhea, due to lactose intolerance, is the most common gastrointestinal symptom of intolerance of cow's milk among children and adults. As surprising as it may be chronic constipation can also result from cow’s milk. In the October 15, 1998 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine researchers reported on a double-blind, crossover study comparing

cow's milk with soy milk in 65 children with chronic constipation (defined as having one bowel

movement every 3 to 15 days). The patients received cow's milk or soy milk for 2 weeks. Forty-four of the 65 children (68 percent) had a response as defined as 8 bowel movement in 2 weeks. After reintroduction of the cow’s milk the constipation returned in 48 to 72 hours. Anal fissures and pain on defecation were resolved with soy milk. None of them improved with cow’s milk. The children were also noticed to have a high incidence of other allergic reaction to cow’s milk, such runny nose, asthma, and eczemas.

JM: The cause of chronic constipation in adults and children is commonly consider to be due to two problems: psychological disturbances and poor bowel motility. Few doctors seem to make the connection between the inner contents of the bowel (the remnants of the food) and bowel health. Early in my practice of medicine I observed that almost every patient who switched to the high fiber diet I recommend had immediate resolution of normal active bowel function. In fact, I often joke that they sometimes think about me at 3 A.M. But occasional someone would tell me that they followed the diet strictly and they were still constipated. On closer probing I discovered that these individuals were still using milk--like just a little skim milk on their cereal. Once they stopped this the constipation resolved. I wrote in the McDougall Plan (New Win) in 1983 "...if any dairy product, even a small amount of skim milk, is retained in your diet, bowel movements may not pass easily or regularly."