Were you allergic to milk as a kid, but then grew out of it? (Hint: you probably didn't.)
Does every Naturopath advise you to avoid milk? (There's a reason.)
Do you suffer from acne, obesity, endometriosis, eczema, asthma, or recurring chest infections? (There may be a solution.)
What IS the problem with milk?
It's NOT the lactose.
It's NOT the fat. In fact, full fat milk may be better for weight loss than low fat (1). There is evidence that dairy fat in beneficial for female hormones, and improves fertility (2).
The problem with cow's milk is the type of casein (protein) that it contains. The A1 casein from modern breeds of dairy cow promotes inflammation and congestion in susceptible individuals.(3) This worsens asthma and other lung conditions, and may also play a role in Type 1 diabetes, heart disease, autism, and autoimmune conditions. (4)
A1 casein's detrimental effect on the immune system can manifest in many different ways. This is because immune function and inflammation impact upon many different health systems. For example, we now understand that obesity is an inflammatory condition. Skin problems are inflammatory. Endometriosis is inflammatory, and possibly autoimmune. Although there is little research to back this up, clinically I have found a A1 casein-reduced diet to have a profound impact on:
- asthma and eczema
- weight loss in certain individuals
- endometriosis
- fertility
- acne
Not everyone is susceptible to A1 casein, and unfortunately, there is no definitive way to know who is. Allergy tests don't help, because it is not an allergy. One clue that you might be susceptible is a history of recurring childhood throat, ear or chest infections.
Choose a different animal
The problematic casein is the A1 casein from modern breeds of cattle such as Holstein. The casein from goat and sheep milk products is fine. So is the casein from A2 milk (Jersey cow milk) available in supermarkets. Normal butter is fine because it contains only trace amounts of A1 casein.
What about calcium?
The inflammation generated by a casein sensitivity may have prevented your digestion from absorbing very much calcium anyway.
You can easily obtain calcium from other sources. Sheep, goat and A2 products contain calcium. Other good food sources are: dark green leafy vegetables (lightly cooked), almonds, almond butter, tahini, calcium-fortified rice milk, dried figs, tinned salmon with bones. If you're really worried, take a calcium/magnesium supplement.
Written by Lara Grinevitch
Appointments at Sensible-Alternative
For professional advice regarding food sensitivities, please make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths.
Locations in Crowsnest Pass, Canada and Sydney, Australia.
1) Dr Lara Grinevitch - Crowsnest Pass, Canada
Lara sees patients on Mondays.
Text message or leave a voicemail on Lara's cell: 1 587 880 4436
Phone Crowsnest Clinic: 1 403 563 3334. (Clinic phone is attended Tuesday-Friday)
2) Biljana Koga or Deborah Gibson - Sydney, Australia
Two Sydney locations: Chatswood - Cronulla
Sydney phone number: 02 8011 1994
To email our Sydney head office: click here.
References
- Berkey, CS et al. Milk, Dairy Fat, Dietary Calcium, and Weight Gain: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:543-550
- Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner B, Willett WC (May 2007). "A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility". Human Reproduction 22 (5): 1340-7.
- Bartley J. Does milk increase mucus production? Med Hypotheses.2010 Apr;74(4):732-4. Epub 2009 Nov 25.
- Kamiński S. Polymorphism of bovine beta-casein and its potential effect on human health. J Appl Genet. 2007;48(3):189-98.
