![]() Discovering a Food Intolerance to Casein, a Milk Protein. This story is about how we learned that my husband Doug has an intolerance to casein, which is a protein in milk. My husband Doug used to be sick every single day. ![]() First they thought he had an ulcer, then maybe it was acid reflux. I thank God for that flu. He didn’t know how he could feel so good after just getting over the flu! Then he poured himself a tall glass of milk. Thinking it could be lactose intolerance, Doug tried drinking lactose- free milk and taking lactase enzyme pills to help his body digest it, but they didn’t work. The lactose wasn’t the problem; he was still getting sick. He had quite a few tests done to see if anything else could be wrong. It made him extremely sick for three weeks, and he experienced: feverheadachesstiffness and achesclinical diarrheastrange and tingly feelings in his fingersshortness of breathchest and abdominal pain. A new doctor explained to Doug that he should start viewing casein as if it were poison to his body, and not let himself eat any foods with casein. Adding probiotics and enzymes as supplements have helped him avoid getting sick from small accidental exposures. Are you a nursing mother who needs to stop eating dairy for your nursling's health? Are you wondering how you will ever survive without milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt? Food allergies and intolerances are notoriously difficult to diagnose in young kids. Casein is a protein found in milk and other dairy products. A casein allergy occurs when your body mistakenly identifies casein as a threat to your body.
We carefully check ingredients on labels now, and Doug hasn’t felt sick in a long time. The turning point for us was when we stopped thinking of all the foods with milk that he can’t have, and we started to focus on the foods he can have. For ideas about dairy- free foods, read Flavorful Food Without Milk. Casein Allergy Information What is a casein allergy? Casein is a protein found in milk and other dairy products. A casein allergy occurs when your body mistakenly identifies casein as a threat to your body. Your body then triggers a reaction in an attempt to fight it off. Lactose intolerance can make you feel uncomfortable after consuming dairy. However, a casein allergy can cause: hivesrasheswheezingsevere painfood malabsorptionvomitingbreathing problems Causes What causes a casein allergy? Casein allergies are most common in infants and young children. This allergy occurs when the immune system mistakes casein as something the body needs to fight off. This triggers an allergic reaction. Infants who are breast- fed are at a lower risk of developing a casein allergy. Experts aren’t completely sure why some infants develop a casein allergy while others don’t, but they believe genetics may play a role. Usually, a casein allergy will go away by the time a child reaches 3 to 5 years of age. Some children never outgrow their casein allergy and may have it into adulthood. Where is casein found? Mammal’s milk, such as cow’s milk, is made up of: lactose, or milk sugar fatsup to four kinds of casein protein other kinds of milk proteins. The amount of each of these substances in milk depends on: which animal the milk comes fromwhere in the milking cycle the animal was how long the animal has been lactatingwhat the lactating animal was eating Many dairy products contain casein, but not all do. Because casein is a protein, it’s found mostly in dairy products with moderate- to- high protein content such as: low- fat milk yogurt kefir cheese ice cream Dairy products containing less protein and more fat, such as butter and cream, contain very little casein. Clarified butter, or ghee, contains no casein at all. Casein can also be in other foods and products that contain milk or milk powder, such as crackers and cookies. This makes casein one of the more difficult allergens to avoid. This means it’s very important for you to read food labels carefully and ask what’s in certain foods before buying or eating it. At restaurants, make sure you alert your server about your casein allergy before ordering food. You should avoid products that contain milk or may have been exposed to foods containing milk if you or your child has a casein allergy. A food’s ingredients list will state this. Additionally, some food packaging may voluntarily list statements such as “may contain milk” or “made in a facility with milk.” You should avoid these foods as well because they may contain traces of casein. Risk factors What are the risk factors for developing a casein allergy? One in every 1. 3 children under 1. A casein allergy will typically show up when an infant reaches 3 months of age and will resolve by the time the child is 3 to 5 years old. It’s not known exactly why this occurs. However, researchers have found that some children with casein allergies who are exposed to small amounts of casein in their diets appear to outgrow their allergies more quickly than children who consume no casein. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children not be introduced to cow's milk before 1 year of age because a baby’s body cannot tolerate the high levels of protein and other nutrients found in cow’s milk. The AAP suggests all babies be fed only breast milk or formula until 6 months of age, when you can begin introducing solid foods. At that point, avoid feeding your child foods containing milk, and continue giving them only breast milk or formula. Diagnosis How is a casein allergy diagnosed? You should call your doctor right away if your child is showing any of the symptoms of a casein allergy. They’ll ask you about your family’s history of food allergies and will perform a physical exam. There isn’t a specific test that will diagnose a casein allergy, so your child’s doctor will perform several tests to make sure another health problem isn’t causing the symptoms. These include: stool tests to check for digestive problemsblood tests to check for underlying health issuesa skin prick allergy test in which your child’s skin is pricked with a needle containing a small amount of casein to see if a reaction occurs. Your child’s doctor may also give your child milk and observe them for several hours afterward to look for any allergic reaction. Avoiding casein How to avoid casein. There are many substitutes for casein- based products on the market, including: soy, rice, or potato- based milkssorbets and Italian icescertain brands of soy- based products, such as Tofutticertain brands of creams and creamersmost soy ice creamscoconut buttercertain brands of soup. In recipes calling for 1 cup of milk, you can substitute 1 cup of soy, rice, or coconut milk or 1 cup of water combined with 1 egg yolk. You can use the following to replace dairy yogurt: soy yogurtsoy sour cream pureed fruit unsweetened applesauce. Casein- free diet Should you avoid casein even if you don’t have a food allergy? Researchers have found that casein can promote inflammation in mice. This has led some experts to question whether or not going on a casein- free diet may be beneficial for people with disorders worsened by inflammation, such as autism, fibromyalgia, and arthritis. Currently, no definitive link between a casein- free diet and a reduction of disease or disorder symptoms has been established. Studies are ongoing, and some people have found that cutting out casein improves the symptoms of some health problems. If you’re considering a casein- free diet, it’s important to consult with your doctor first.
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November 2017
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