Why does milk Allergy Occur?
Allergy to cow's milk is increasingly seen both in adults and children. This is largely due to the deterioration in the quality of commercially available Milk. A lot of commercially available milk is produced in factory type, dairy farms or with the addition of growth additives and hormones in the cow's feed. Commercially available food for cows usually contains antibiotics to prevent infections, hormones to start milk production early and to increase milk yield, and animal residues like fish meal and poultry waste to boost the protein intake and the yield of milk.
Widespread use of pesticides and herbicides worldwide have lead to contamination of the food chain and increasing amount of pesticides in Milk. There are large amounts of Dioxin which are derived from plastics and are carcinogenic, contaminating soil and hence the grass. The cow eats large quantities of grass and tends to concentrate pesticides and Dioxins in its body which is then secreted in the milk. If the grass contains 10 parts of pesticide per million and the cow eats 20-50 kg of grass a day over 3-4 years the concentration of pesticide in the cow's meat rises to 500-1200 parts per million which is well over the toxic limit. Some samples of cow's milk have a few hundred parts per million compared to the "acceptable if still unsafe" limit of 5 parts per million. Pesticides are a poison which the body is unable to tolerate and it creates antibodies to the milk protein in an effort to protect itself. This is a leading cause for the increase in milk allergies worldwide.
In contrast people who drink cow's milk and take milk products, taken from cows which graze naturally on grass in fields, have a much lower incidence of allergy to cow's milk. With safe inputs to the cow, the output (milk) will also be safe. If the cow's feed contains animal products, antibiotics or pesticides this reflects in contamination of it's milk with these substances.
A large multi-centric study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 2010 found that antibodies produced in the human system by the milk proteins are similar to the antibodies that work against the pancreatic beta cells that produce human insulin. Antibodies to milk protein attack and destroy human pancreatic beta cells as they mistake it for the casein from the cow. The study showed that type-I diabetes is significantly more common in infants fed with cow’s milk instead of mother’s milk.
In India, milk allergy is common in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Madras & Bangalore where imported milk powder from the European community is used to provide reconstituted milk. Milk allergy in India used to affect less than 5% of the general population in 1990. In my estimation over 50% of people who live in the metropolitan cities of India now suffer from health problems caused or aggravated by milk and milk products, beef and gelatin (commonly used to make capsules). Capsules made from gelatin are used commonly to administer antibiotics and vitamins. Many vegetarians are unable to digest this animal protein, and suffer from nausea and diarrhoea because of the capsule. This side effect is wrongly ascribed as a side effect to the use of the antibiotic, and disappears when the same medication is given as a tablet!
In the same cities those people who consumed cow's milk from their local dairy continued to have a low incidence of allergy (less than 5%). With the increasing promotion of commercial fodder, enriched with animal wastes, fish meal, hormones and antibiotics as well as the use of pooled milk by various cooperative milk producing societies, the incidence of milk allergy is rising in other parts of India. The use of pooled milk from many cows and sources increases the risk of allergies as the likely hood of some of this milk being contaminated greatly increases the risk and likelyhood of allergies. Commercially available tetrapack packed milk is usually from pooled milk.
Cow's milk is touted as an ideal food for adult human beings by the dairy industry, even though about 40% of non-vegetarian Caucasian adults (a group which includes Europeans, Indians and white Americans) are allergic to some elements of cow's milk. Dr. Oski estimated that up to 50% of American children were allergic to cow's milk. Among African and Mongolian (Chinese) ethnic groups, there is a high incidence of allergy and intolerance to lactose (70-90%) and other elements of cow's milk.
Milk from European cow's tends to contain a form of casein which is more antigenic than that from Indian cows. Taking milk from hybrid cows which have been crossbred with European strains thus increases the risk of milk allergy. Most African Americans are lactose intolerant. This intolerance to lactose usually manifests as stomach cramps, gas, flatulence and generalized abdominal discomfort. Lactase tablets are available in the US to allow digestion of lactose by lactose intolerant adults. Among Caucasians (including Indians) the incidence of milk protein allergies is high while among the Mongolian races and African races, lactose intolerance is more common. Lactase is of no benefit when the allergy is to milk protein.
The widespread recognition of the prevalence of milk allergy, and the link between the inclusion of milk in US school meals program and the rising juvenile delinquency rate led to the withdrawal of milk from the school program and its substitution by a piece of fruit. As a result the rate of delinquency and juvenile crime in schools in the US has fallen dramatically in the last 15 years.
Allergy to cow's milk is increasingly seen both in adults and children. This is largely due to the deterioration in the quality of commercially available Milk. A lot of commercially available milk is produced in factory type, dairy farms or with the addition of growth additives and hormones in the cow's feed. Commercially available food for cows usually contains antibiotics to prevent infections, hormones to start milk production early and to increase milk yield, and animal residues like fish meal and poultry waste to boost the protein intake and the yield of milk.
Widespread use of pesticides and herbicides worldwide have lead to contamination of the food chain and increasing amount of pesticides in Milk. There are large amounts of Dioxin which are derived from plastics and are carcinogenic, contaminating soil and hence the grass. The cow eats large quantities of grass and tends to concentrate pesticides and Dioxins in its body which is then secreted in the milk. If the grass contains 10 parts of pesticide per million and the cow eats 20-50 kg of grass a day over 3-4 years the concentration of pesticide in the cow's meat rises to 500-1200 parts per million which is well over the toxic limit. Some samples of cow's milk have a few hundred parts per million compared to the "acceptable if still unsafe" limit of 5 parts per million. Pesticides are a poison which the body is unable to tolerate and it creates antibodies to the milk protein in an effort to protect itself. This is a leading cause for the increase in milk allergies worldwide.
In contrast people who drink cow's milk and take milk products, taken from cows which graze naturally on grass in fields, have a much lower incidence of allergy to cow's milk. With safe inputs to the cow, the output (milk) will also be safe. If the cow's feed contains animal products, antibiotics or pesticides this reflects in contamination of it's milk with these substances.
A large multi-centric study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in 2010 found that antibodies produced in the human system by the milk proteins are similar to the antibodies that work against the pancreatic beta cells that produce human insulin. Antibodies to milk protein attack and destroy human pancreatic beta cells as they mistake it for the casein from the cow. The study showed that type-I diabetes is significantly more common in infants fed with cow’s milk instead of mother’s milk.
In India, milk allergy is common in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Madras & Bangalore where imported milk powder from the European community is used to provide reconstituted milk. Milk allergy in India used to affect less than 5% of the general population in 1990. In my estimation over 50% of people who live in the metropolitan cities of India now suffer from health problems caused or aggravated by milk and milk products, beef and gelatin (commonly used to make capsules). Capsules made from gelatin are used commonly to administer antibiotics and vitamins. Many vegetarians are unable to digest this animal protein, and suffer from nausea and diarrhoea because of the capsule. This side effect is wrongly ascribed as a side effect to the use of the antibiotic, and disappears when the same medication is given as a tablet!
In the same cities those people who consumed cow's milk from their local dairy continued to have a low incidence of allergy (less than 5%). With the increasing promotion of commercial fodder, enriched with animal wastes, fish meal, hormones and antibiotics as well as the use of pooled milk by various cooperative milk producing societies, the incidence of milk allergy is rising in other parts of India. The use of pooled milk from many cows and sources increases the risk of allergies as the likely hood of some of this milk being contaminated greatly increases the risk and likelyhood of allergies. Commercially available tetrapack packed milk is usually from pooled milk.
Cow's milk is touted as an ideal food for adult human beings by the dairy industry, even though about 40% of non-vegetarian Caucasian adults (a group which includes Europeans, Indians and white Americans) are allergic to some elements of cow's milk. Dr. Oski estimated that up to 50% of American children were allergic to cow's milk. Among African and Mongolian (Chinese) ethnic groups, there is a high incidence of allergy and intolerance to lactose (70-90%) and other elements of cow's milk.
Milk from European cow's tends to contain a form of casein which is more antigenic than that from Indian cows. Taking milk from hybrid cows which have been crossbred with European strains thus increases the risk of milk allergy. Most African Americans are lactose intolerant. This intolerance to lactose usually manifests as stomach cramps, gas, flatulence and generalized abdominal discomfort. Lactase tablets are available in the US to allow digestion of lactose by lactose intolerant adults. Among Caucasians (including Indians) the incidence of milk protein allergies is high while among the Mongolian races and African races, lactose intolerance is more common. Lactase is of no benefit when the allergy is to milk protein.
The widespread recognition of the prevalence of milk allergy, and the link between the inclusion of milk in US school meals program and the rising juvenile delinquency rate led to the withdrawal of milk from the school program and its substitution by a piece of fruit. As a result the rate of delinquency and juvenile crime in schools in the US has fallen dramatically in the last 15 years.