Dairy Products from the Perspective of Chinese Medicine – Do You Really Need to Avoid Them?

Dairy is probably one of the most controversial foods there is. Ask five people whether milk is healthy and you'll probably get six different answers. Chinese Medicine is no exception.

So first of all: no, I'm not here to tell you to give up dairy.

What I want to offer is a different perspective—one that helps explain why dairy can be nourishing for some people while leaving others feeling heavy, sluggish, or low in energy. Because this is how Chinese Medicine works. It doesn't ask whether a food is good or bad. It asks whether it's the right food for your body at this moment.

Not every food suits every person, and not every food suits every stage of life.

Why Does Chinese Medicine Look at Dairy Differently?

Modern nutrition usually focuses on calories, protein, fat, vitamins, or minerals. Chinese Medicine starts with a different question: What effect does a food have on the body?

Among other things, we look at whether a food:

• warms or cools the body

• builds Qi or Body Fluids

• supports digestion

• nourishes Yin

• promotes Dampness or Phlegm

That's why two people can eat exactly the same food and experience completely different effects.

When Can Dairy Be Helpful?

One thing that's often forgotten is that not everyone has the same needs.

People with pronounced dryness, Yin deficiency, or internal Heat can actually benefit from the moistening qualities of certain dairy products. Many tolerate them even better when they're served warm or combined with warming ingredients such as cinnamon or cardamom.

Chinese Medicine therefore never gives one dietary recommendation that applies to everyone. The most important question is always: What pattern is present?

How Do You Know Whether Dairy Is Right for You?

Before talking about dairy itself, it helps to ask another question: how do you know whether it actually suits your body?

This is where Chinese Medicine begins to differentiate.

One of the most common patterns is Spleen Qi deficiency. Unlike the anatomical spleen in Western medicine, the Spleen in Chinese Medicine describes a functional system responsible for digestion. It transforms food into Qi and Blood and transports nutrients throughout the body. When this system becomes weak, digestion slows down and food is no longer transformed efficiently.

Instead, the body begins to accumulate what Chinese Medicine calls Dampness. Dampness can show up as heaviness, sluggish digestion, water retention, excess mucus, or brain fog. Over time, it may develop into what Chinese Medicine describes as Phlegm.

A weak Spleen doesn't only affect digestion. It also influences how much energy you have, how clearly you think, and whether your body feels light and comfortable or heavy and tired.

Common signs include:

• feeling tired after eating

• heaviness in the body

• bloating or fullness

• loose stools

• excessive worrying or overthinking

• poor concentration or brain fog

• water retention

• increased mucus production

• teeth marks along the edges of the tongue

In Chinese Medicine, excess body weight is also often associated with Dampness and Phlegm. That's why many people are surprised when I suggest reconsidering the daily bowl of low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese that's so often recommended for weight loss.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the protein content of a food isn't the only thing that matters. Just as important is the effect it has inside the body. Many dairy products are considered cooling and moistening and may place an additional burden on an already weakened Spleen.

The Spleen is responsible for transforming food into Qi and Blood and transporting nourishment where the body needs it. To do this well, it needs enough strength. If it's asked to process foods that are difficult for it day after day, it gradually becomes less efficient.

And what does a weakened Spleen produce?

Dampness and Phlegm.

This is also why a very high-protein diet based on yogurt or cottage cheese may lead to weight loss at first. From the perspective of Chinese Medicine, however, the underlying imbalance often remains unchanged while the Spleen becomes even weaker.

Once you return to your usual way of eating, the body may struggle to transform food efficiently again. Dampness accumulates more easily, and many people experience what we know as the classic yo-yo effect.

The goal in Chinese Medicine isn't simply to lose weight for a short period of time. The goal is to strengthen the Spleen so it can do its job well over the long term.

Cow's Milk, Sheep's Milk, or Goat's Milk?

Chinese Medicine also distinguishes between different types of dairy.

Cow's milk is traditionally considered sweet, cooling, and strongly moistening. It can nourish Body Fluids and help relieve dryness. However, if someone already has a tendency toward Dampness, Phlegm, or Spleen Qi deficiency, larger amounts of cow's milk may strengthen these patterns even further.

The type of dairy product also makes a difference. The fresher the product, the stronger its cooling and moistening effect tends to be. This includes yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone, and other fresh cheeses. If the Spleen is already weak, these foods may contribute to the further accumulation of Dampness and Phlegm.

Sheep's milk is considered slightly warmer and is therefore often easier for many people to digest.

Goat's milk is regarded as the warmest of the three and is often considered the easiest to digest. It creates considerably less Dampness than cow's milk and is therefore better tolerated by many people.

The character of dairy also changes as it ages. Mature cheeses such as Parmesan are considered much less Damp-forming than fresh dairy products and are therefore often easier to tolerate.

Of course, every body is different. It's not only a question of whether you eat dairy, but also which type, how much, and whether it matches your current pattern.

Dairy and Children

From the perspective of Chinese Medicine, young children's digestive system is still developing. Their digestive center is not yet fully mature and is more sensitive to foods that are strongly cooling or overly moistening.

For this reason, cow's milk products are generally viewed with caution during the first year of life. If supplementary feeding is necessary, many Chinese Medicine practitioners consider high-quality goat's milk products a gentler alternative.

Later in childhood, many children who struggle with frequent infections, recurring ear infections, persistent runny noses, or excessive mucus production also benefit from reducing dairy for a period of time.

My Advice from Clinical Practice

If your tongue has clear teeth marks and you also experience fatigue, a feeling of heaviness, digestive problems, or other signs of Spleen Qi deficiency, there's one thing I often recommend in clinical practice:

Avoid all dairy products for two months.

Yes—all of them.

Not as a lifelong rule, but as an opportunity to give your body time to recover. Only once the Spleen has regained some of its strength can you really notice how you feel without dairy—and how your body responds when you gradually introduce it again.

After those two months, start adding individual dairy products back into your diet, one at a time. Begin with small amounts and pay attention to how you feel afterwards.

You may find that mature cheeses suit you perfectly well. Perhaps sheep's or goat's milk products work better for you than cow's milk. Or you may notice that yogurt or cottage cheese still leave you feeling heavy.

The goal isn't to avoid certain foods forever. It's to understand what works for your body—and in what amount.

And just as importantly: food should be enjoyed. If you generally support your Spleen and take good care of your digestion, there's absolutely room for a slice of birthday cake, a cappuccino with a friend, or dessert on holiday. Chinese Medicine isn't about perfection. It's about balance—and enjoying life is part of that balance.

Would You Like to Strengthen Your Spleen?

Giving up dairy is often only the first step. The more important part is helping your Spleen regain its strength.

That's exactly what we'll be focusing on inside the DaoSense Membership this August.

You'll receive a comprehensive workbook on nutrition, digestion, and the Spleen from the perspective of Chinese Medicine, a Qi Gong practice to strengthen your center, an article with warming breakfast recipes and an explanation of the energetic properties of each ingredient, as well as a Sound Healing session with Deng Nanjing to support your Spleen and help you reconnect with your center.

If you're reading this article at another time of year, you'll also find the workbook "From Digestion to Clearity - the Spleen in Daily Life" available separately in the DaoSense shop all year round.

One Final Thought

One question I get asked again and again is how, as a Chinese Medicine practitioner, I can write about dairy—or even meat—and sometimes recommend it, especially by people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.

So I'd like to end with one personal thought.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to eat in a particular way, and I'm certainly not here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't eat. Every person makes their food choices for different reasons—whether ethical, environmental, religious, or health-related—and I respect every one of those reasons.

When I write about nutrition, I do so solely from the perspective of Chinese Medicine and its understanding of how food influences the body. My goal isn't to tell you what belongs on your plate. My goal is to help you understand the connections behind your symptoms, so you have the knowledge to decide for yourself what feels right for your body.

Your values, beliefs, and personal choices are yours to make. I'm simply offering the knowledge and perspective of Chinese Medicine.

I hope this perspective can be met with the same respect I have for yours.