Recent research has found that 1 in 7 people in the UK are thought to have an intolerance to dairy. As far as my research on this subject stands, there are two reasons why people can be intolerant to dairy products. The first is an allergy to cow’s milk proteins and the second is an intolerance to lactose.

Allergy

An allergy is the result of our immune system reacting against something harmless as if it were harmful.In the case of dairy allergy, the immune system reacts to proteins in milk, caseins and the whey protein b -lactoglobulin. This is the most common of childhood allergies; 2-7% of babies suffer in their first year. Most children grow out of this allergy by the age of three years, however a fifth carry the allergy into adulthood.

Symptoms can occur very quickly and range from the severe, such as anaphylactic shock to the minor, like ‘nettle’ rash and digestive upsets.The proteins from cow’s milk are very similar to those from goats and sheep, and can cause the same sorts of reaction in cow’s milk-allergic people. Therefore, goat’s or sheep’s milk cannot be used as a cow’s milk substitute in allergic individuals.

This article gives a much more in-depth description of milk allergy.

Intolerance

An intolerance does not involve the immune system, but can produce symptoms similar to that of a mild allergy, mostly related to the digestive system. Lactose Intolerance is defined as “the inability to digest lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. It is caused by not having enough of the enzyme lactase”. This is also referred to as Lactase Deficiency.

Lactose intolerance is the most common form of milk intolerance. Common symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation. Avoidance of milk products can lead to a low calcium intake, so it is important to look for good non-dairy sources of calcium or soya milk products that have been fortified with extra calcium.

This article gives a much more in-depth description of Lactose intolerance.

When Milk isn’t called milk

The following items are made from milk and will, therefore, contain milk proteins

*Casein
*Caseinate
*Whey
*Whey Powder
*Sodium Caseinate
*Calcium Caseinate
*”Beverage Whitener” (generally)
*Caramel (sometimes okay if pure colour and not adulterated)

Finally, there are many sufferers that remain undiagnosed, assuming that the discomfort they feel is associated with over-eating or consuming goods a little over their use-by date. Also, some sufferers are misdiagnosed with IBS or other digestive conditions. Milk allergy can simply be diagnosed with a skin-prick test and there are other tests for diagnosing Lactose intolerance. If you suspect you may be suffering from either, your best bet is to discuss it with your GP. Do not cut out dairy produce until you see your GP, as many tests require your body to be reacting to give a positive result.

I will be discussing dairy alternatives and dairy free recipes soon!

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