Milk Help

[jmeds77]

Hey!

I know many of you all deal with gluten-free and CF diets. I have a few clarification questions ...

My two kiddos have been gluten-free with some improvemet but we also suspect a lactose/dairy problem. Their poos are still very soft and loose.

What is the difference between Casein Free/Lactose Free/Dairy Free/Milk Free, etc.??????

I know my dad and brother (also celiacs) have problems wtih what they refer to as lactose. Is it really a casein problem.

Do we add being lactose free or casein free?

I just don't know the difference. One is sugar and one is protein? And which one do we need to be?

Is casein free automatically lactose free or vice versa?

Thanks for your help.

Jaime

[sugarsue]

I found this exerpt to be helpful in explaining it..... My daughters are casein free as much as we can in hopes that it will help with their behavior issues. So far, it seems to be helping and my 6 yr old who is super gluten sensitive seems to be doing very well since we cut out the casein.....

Casein is the principal protein found in fresh cow

[Mother of Jibril]

Sugarsue gave you a great definition, but I just wanted to add a couple of things...

Lactose is the sugar in milk. Lactose intolerance is very common. People with celiac disease can have temporary lactose intolerance because the tips of the villi are where lactase (the enzyme to digest lactose) is made. Sometimes you can get around this by drinking Lactaid or lactose-free milk. However... milk proteins like casein are common allergens that are hard on the digestive system (and immune system), so you might find it very helpful to give your body a break by avoiding all dairy products for a while.

Foods like yogurt and cheese have low levels of lactose, so some people with permanent lactose intolerance can handle them (even if they can't handle regular milk).

People who are sensitive to casein need to avoid all cow's milk dairy products. Some can tolerate other kinds of milk (goat, sheep) because the proteins are slightly different. Some can't. You just have to keep track of your diet and symptoms and see what works for you.

[BarbaQ]

Is it true that clarified butter (Ghee) is casein free?

I have tried to find information on this. Apparently butter is also low in lactose and can be tolerated by some.

Barb

[Mother of Jibril]

I have read that ghee is considered casein free, but... IMO, there's a strong possibility of cross-contamination. Whether you can use it or not depends on how sensitive you are.

[sugarsue]

Is it true that clarified butter (Ghee) is casein free?

I have tried to find information on this. Apparently butter is also low in lactose and can be tolerated by some.

Barb

My Mom swears by Ghee and believes that it is casein free. I have not tried it yet. We use Smart Balance Organic, the dairy free one, not sure what it is called exactly and it seems the most like butter from everything we've tried.

s

[Lovey25]

Hey!

I know many of you all deal with gluten-free and CF diets. I have a few clarification questions ...

My two kiddos have been gluten-free with some improvemet but we also suspect a lactose/dairy problem. Their poos are still very soft and loose.

What is the difference between Casein Free/Lactose Free/Dairy Free/Milk Free, etc.??????

I know my dad and brother (also celiacs) have problems wtih what they refer to as lactose. Is it really a casein problem.

Do we add being lactose free or casein free?

I just don't know the difference. One is sugar and one is protein? And which one do we need to be?

Is casein free automatically lactose free or vice versa?

Thanks for your help.

Jaime

Something I'll add to the already great info on Lactose/Dairy/Casein is that I have heard Casein described as a glue-like substance, which causes the overgrowth of mucus. So that's why some people have a problem with Casein -- because it causes alot of mucus to be formed. And if you already have an inflammation problem, Casein definitely makes it worse!