Question About Whey

[carleyq]

i believe that i am sensitive to foods with whey in them, however i just recently discovered that whey is a milk protien.(hey i'm new at this)

would this mean that i should avoid all dairy? i always recognized avoiding dairy as an intollerance to dairy products (which i already have) or as an allerty to caseins.

it would be very helpfull if someone could clear this up for me!

[lauradawn]

Im not sure if I understood your question totally, but from my understanding if you are allergic to Whey or Casein ( they are both derivitaves of dairy) than you should be avoiding all dairy products. That's my udnerstanding anyway.

As a side note, casein and whey are in a lot of things!!!...Most cookies, crackers, baked things....etc...

[gf4life]

Here is what I have found, but if it is not correct, then someone please correct me.

There is a difference between lactose (milk sugar) intolerance and casein (milk protein) intolerance. I have never heard of being specifically intolerant to whey, but whey contains both lactose and casein, so an intolerance to either of the others would cause a reaction. Lactose intolerance is often temporary (and is very common with celiac disease in the early healing stages), so if that is your problem then you may not need to give up dairy forever. If it is casein you have a problem with, then you must give up ALL dairy. And Laura is right, read the labels, many foods contain milk derivatives in some form!

But many gluten-free companies recognize that many of us can't have dairy, and offer many gluten free/dairy free items as well. If it says casein free then it is dairy free.

God bless,

Mariann

[carleyq]

thanks for the insights...i'm still struggling to figure out exactly what is hurting me and what isn't. whaaat a challange indeed

[Guest Margawitty]

Just to share another experience with dairy:

My girlfriend Andrea went on the gluten free diet about 7 months ago. That went well at first and she felt soooo much better than she ever has that we didnt really think much of her being sick sparatically maybe once a week or so.

Eventually we tied the sparatic sickness to dairy, and she has since also cut out soy. Since cutting out all things she has been fine (with the exception of a particularly horrible incident last night that we still aren't sure what the cause was).

My uncle who has an autistic-celiac son has explained to me that the proteins in gluten, caesine and soy are all VERY similar and that in many cases a celiacs body is so damaged from gluten that it looses the ability to distinguish between these proteins. From what I've read, celiacs that stay on the strict gluten-free, cf, sf diet for several years usually gain back the ability to properly digest caesine and soy.

My suggestion would be to try cutting out dairy, and maybe soy too, if you stop feeling sick then there ya go!

Emmy