By Judy Davie
**”I recently stopped drinking cow’s milk because it made me feel nauseous and soon after I drank it (either in coffee or tea) or ate food with milk or cream in it I would throw up. I switched to soy milk and then consulted my doctor, who sent me for tests. The results came back that I was not lactose intolerant. Do you think this could be an allergy to something else in milk that is making me feel ill or should I just put it down to a dietary change and keep drinking soy?”
— Alison**
I certainly think you should be guided by your own body’s reaction and if you have no doubt that milk is the culprit, then clearly you have a problem.
If it’s full-fat milk and cream you’re eating, it may be a reaction to the fat, in which case you could try skimmed as an alternative. If skimmed produces the same reaction, it may be a reaction to the protein in milk.
Milk contains six proteins. Eighty percent of the protein in milk is casein protein while the remaining protein is from whey. The two main casein proteins are beta-casein A1 and beta-casein A2. Most of the milk coming from large commercial dairies comes from Friesian cows producing milk with A1 protein. Other breeds such as Guernsey and Jersey cows, sheep and goats produce milk with A2 protein.
Some researchers believe that the chain of amino acids which form a protein in A1 milk is weaker than in A2 milk, causing the chain to break off a small piece known as Beta Casamorphin. This piece can break through the gut wall into the bloodstream causing disease and other complications. Despite this, there is insufficient evidence for authorities to suggest banning A1 milk from the diet completely.
Given that dairy produce is still the best source of readily available calcium obtained from food, it’s worth trying an A2 variety, either from branded A2 milk or goat or sheep’s milk. If you still have a reaction, switch to soy, rice or oat milk, all of which are fortified with calcium. But all should be consumed in moderation as they are very high in energy (kilojoules).
There are many people who eliminate dairy from their diet. If you find you feel better without it, you should make a concerted effort to eat other calcium-rich foods such as canned salmon, almonds, tofu, tempeh, sardines, prawns, bamboo shoots and Chinese broccoli.
For a list of calcium rich foods, visit www.thefoodcoach.com.au and conduct your search for nutritional value using the keyword ‘calcium’.
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