If your heartburn and constipation always appear after consuming cow's milk, you should be wary. It could be that you are sensitive to cow's milk because you are lactose intolerant or allergic to the ingredients in cow's milk.

Some conditions that can cause you to experience heartburn and constipation after consuming cow's milk include:

Lactose intolerance is a condition when the body is unable to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. A person with this condition does not produce enough lactase enzyme to break down lactose into glucose and galactose. As a result, lactose is not digested properly and causes various symptoms, such as bloating, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and constipation.

A milk allergy is a condition in which the immune system overreacts to the protein content in milk. The types of protein that most often trigger allergies are whey and casein. People who experience this condition may be allergic to one or even both of these proteins. Vomiting, stomach cramps, itching, watery eyes, cough, and diarrhea are some of the symptoms of a milk allergy that usually appear after consuming cow's milk.

In general, cow's milk contains beta casein protein which consists of A1 and A2 proteins. Both of these proteins are needed by the body to support the growth of muscle mass, boost the immune system, and support the development of the digestive system in babies. However, not everyone can digest protein A1, because their digestive system reacts to the compound beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) which is formed when the body digests protein A1. These compounds can trigger digestive disorders, such as bloating, heartburn, constipation, to diarrhea.

If you are one of the people who are reluctant to consume cow's milk because you often feel heartburn and constipation afterward, now you don't need to worry. There are various choices of cow's milk substitutes that you can safely consume, including:

There are many sources of calcium besides cow's milk, one of which is soy milk. Soy milk can be an option for those of you who suffer from lactose intolerance. This is because soy milk contains calcium which is as good as cow's milk.

Patients with cow's milk allergy can still consume cow's milk. Choose an extensively hydrolyzed formula. The protein content in this special formula milk has been broken down into smaller components, so that people who have a cow's milk allergy do not react to the protein content in the milk. In addition to the extensive hydrolyzed formula, you can also choose formula that contains amino acids.

Milk from A2 cows can also be an option for those of you who have A1 protein sensitivity. According to a study, protein A2 is known to cause indigestion less frequently. This is because milk containing A2 protein is not broken down into beta-casomorphin-7 compounds, so it does not cause allergic reactions in your digestive system.

The various types of milk above can be an option for those of you who experience heartburn and constipation after consuming cow's milk. However, if you feel heartburn and constipation for several days and do not go away, consult a doctor immediately.