Q When I eat dairy or flour-based foods, the phlegm in my throat feels worse. Is there a connection?
A In some people, dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt) can worsen post-nasal drip by increasing mucus production or thickening it. Flour (gluten) can also trigger mucosal hypersensitivity in some cases, so it helps to restrict them for 2 to 4 weeks and check the difference.
Detailed Answer
There are clinical reports that milk protein (casein) triggers a histamine response in the mucosa or stimulates mucus production. However, this does not apply to everyone and individual differences are large. In the case of flour, if you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity or a wheat allergy, an inflammatory response can occur in the nasal mucosa and increase secretions. How to identify trigger foods: completely eliminate dairy or flour for two weeks, record any change in symptoms, then reintroduce them; if symptoms recur, the connection is likely. In addition, spicy and irritating foods, cold foods, and alcohol can also overactivate the mucosa and increase secretions.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, dairy and flour are classified as foods that easily form damp-phlegm (seup-dam). When such foods accumulate in a state of weak Spleen and Stomach (bi-wi), phlegm-fluid is aggravated and post-nasal drip worsens. Combining dietary control with treatment to tonify the Lung and transform phlegm produces faster results.
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