Dairy - Lactose Intolerance and Milk / Casein Allergy

Because dairy sensitivity can be either Lactose Intolerance or Milk protein allergy you must be careful to distinguish between them..

Notes marked (A) are for Lactose Intolerance and refer to a person’s inability to digest Lactose, the sugar found in milk.
Notes marked (B) are for Milk protein allergy and refer to the body’s allergic reaction to Casein.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Dairy sensitivity

It is estimated that up to 75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant to some extent. Generally this is not a well-known statistic but well referenced by clinical studies beginning almost forty years ago in the Johns Hopkins University US *.

This not really surprising when we remember that Humans are the only mammals on earth to continue to drink milk after weaning at ~2 years of age. People of developed Western nations consume vast quantities of milk in products like yogurt, cheese and ice cream, and in processed foods.

Lactose Intolerance is a person's inability to digest Lactose, the sugar found in milk, which is broken down by an enzyme called lactase. In all mammals including Humans the production of lactase stops after weaning. There are some humans - generally of Northern European descent who continue to produce lactase after weaning. This minority is known as 'lactase persistent'.

Lactose Intolerance increases with age. So for many people alternating bouts of nausea, diarrhea and constipation have become an everyday thing. But its not normal and can lead to serious health risks.

Left untreated, problems with malabsorption (like iron deficiency or chronic dehydration) can arise. Further neglect can lead to anemia and even osteoporosis. It must be investigated.

Calcium from Dairy Foods

Milk products make food taste good and do contain some calcium. However the calcium found in dairy foods is in a form which is not easily absorbed by the body. Therefore many serves must be eaten (recommended three serves a day or 21 serves per week) to fetch enough calcium for our needs.

This much dairy food in a week means that all the other dairy components like cholesterol, fat and lactose are being absorbed at the same time. To reduce fats people then switch to low fat varieties. However doing this delivers lactose in much larger amounts: skim milk and low fat milk products are usually supplemented with additional milk solids, sugars and other derivatives to give them substance and make them more appealing.

Especially among elderly people, switching to low-fat milk (with its higher levels of lactose) brings on severe diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal symptoms.

Many people in western developed countries eat all types of foods indiscriminately and may have come to accept chronic flatulence, constipation and bloating as 'normal'. However these are not normal and should be investigated.

Osteoporosis

It is interesting to note that the people of most Asian countries consume little or no dairy and suffer no calcium deficiency. There may also be a correlation between this and their low levels of cholesterol and heart disease.

Recent Clinical studies have shown that consuming dairy products at the recommended level does not reliably prevent osteoporosis *.

A 1992 study showed that women on dairy-rich diets actually had a higher rate of bone fracture from osteoporosis that those on a dairy-free diet. It was found that the level of calcium in the body was a delicate balance:

Calcium absorption from the diet offset by
The loss of calcium leached out by eating animal protein, caffeine, salt and also by smoking and physical inactivity.

So prevention of osteoporosis is not just a matter of eating calcium-rich foods. Firstly the calcium must be in a form that is readily absorbed and secondly we must take care with factors that cause calcium loss.

Absorbing Calcium from Foods

Calcium absorption varies with different foods. It is present in many foods: milk and milk products, broccoli and other green vegetables, many types of beans and fish with edible bones.

However the calcium compound present in dairy foods is in a form that is not readily absorbed (hence recommendations to eat three serves of dairy a day). We simply cannot get enough calcium from dairy otherwise. Other foods contain calcium that is much more easily absorbed.

In addition there are now many calcium-fortified products like soy drinks and orange juice that are better sources of calcium.

We now know that other factors like caffeine, smoking and physical activity all play a part in maintaining appropriate levels of calcium in our bodies. It is therefore always better to take a wholistic approach to a balanced diet and lifestyle.

If you suspect you might be dairy intolerant, your first step is to compare your symptoms in the Symptoms Matrix (must register first) to narrow down the possible problem foods.

More Information

Symptoms Matrix
The Tuesday Club

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