Once apon a time, not too long ago I used to struggle with sputum, hacking up chunks in the morning, some days more than others. Yeah somewhat disgusting, but part of life right?
From Wikipedia: Phlegm (Greek: φλέγμα "inflammation, humour caused by heat") is a liquid secreted by the mucous membranes of mammalians. Its definition is limited to the mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that from the nasal passages, and particularly that which is expelled by coughing (sputum). Phlegm is in essence a water-based gel consisting of glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids and other substances. Its composition varies depending on climate, genetics, and state of the immune system. Its color can vary from transparent to pale or dark yellow and green, from light to dark brown, and even to dark grey depending on the constituents
There is a difference between Phlegm and Mucus. Something I did not know until I read a little further. Again Wikipedia provides a simple explanation:
Mucus is a normal protective layering around the airway, eye, nasal turbinate, and urogenital tract. Mucus is an adhesive viscoelastic gel produced in the airway by submucosal glands and goblet cells and is principally water. It also contains high-molecular weight mucous glycoproteins that form linear polymers.
Phlegm is more related to disease than is mucus. Phlegm is a secretion in the airway during disease and inflammation. Phlegm usually contains mucus with bacteria, debris, and sloughed-off inflammatory cells. Once phlegm has been expectorated by a cough it becomes sputum.
As a matter of course, I learned to adjust my intake of certain foods when I felt more congested than usual. So, no latte, black coffee; no cheese or yogurt. It seemed to control the outbreaks. This logic followed the lines of much of the common tales told over generation, to stay away from dairy products when experiencing a cold.
Some time spent Googling around and reading what different medical journals have to say, there is no direct correlation of any of that logic. None. Some say dairy contributes to the 'thickening' of the mucus. Some say it has no effect whatsoever. That said, it is common among vocal artists to refrain from eating or drinking dairy products before performing, this, presumably, to keep the vocal chords clean of a dairy coating.
So having dropped dairy altogether from my diet two years ago, what does my experience tell me? First of all, I no longer have any issues with mucus or phlegm. My sinuses are completely clean. Byeeee to the morning hack and cough in the shower!
Now some might point to my being lactose intolerant and not knowing it. Possible, I suppose. Though I have to say I ate a lot of cheese in my omnivorous day.
Quite simply, if you experience phlegm on a regular basis, not necessarily only when you have a cold, drop the dairy. Really. Drop it for two or three weeks and then pay attention to yourself. See how you feel. How is your breathing? Your throat and more or less 'chunky'?
You may find that dairy is not for you. It's OK. There are lots of alternatives to milk to whiten your coffee. There are also cheese alternatives. These are some people out there who make a mighty fine cream 'cheese' from cashews.
There it is in a nutshell. This is why I no longer eat dairy.
Others will preach of the ethics of milk production, or the drinking of cows milk designed for making calves grow faster, or the casien content's role in advancing disease. For me. My life is better - full stop.
Whether or not you have the same positive result is up to you. You have to give it try, and like I said, pay attention to what your body is telling you.
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