Is There Any Actual Evidence That Casein Is Similar To Gluten In Terms Of Effects On The Body?

[The Fluffy Assassin]

I quit dairy a year and a half ago in hopes of managing Asperger's. I think it was pretty successful, but allergies shot up to the point that I was showing signs of minor asthma, and I also started getting a bit hunchbacked, a lot like older ladies with osteoporosis. I had tried to develop a taste for kale, which most likely would have helped with both problems, but failed. So this week I've started drinking a cup of milk every evening, purely for medicinal purposes. Allergies are better, breathing is better, pins and needles are finally gone (huzzah!) and my creaky neck is getting considerably less so. However, if casein is going to kill me, I'll happily bite the bullet and switch to kale, however nasty it might be. What are thoughts? Is the "casein is a lot like gluten" storyline true, or a celiac urban legend?

[WheatChef]

Casein is a lot like gluten in that it can be associated with a major systemic food intolerance reaction in someone predisposed to it. It's not something that can trigger a gluten reaction though if that's what you're asking, there's actually a lot of different possible food intolerances out there that all have their own special little immune response.

As far as thinking that you need any of the nutrients from dairy well that's certainly not true. As you are aware kale has calcium but it's also found in a number of other sources. Obviously all of the other leafy green vegetables have decent levels of calcium in them (collard greens/swish chard/spinach/chinese cabbage/bok choy/mustard greens & even parsley) but other sources include nuts and seeds, seaweed, fish bones (such as canned sardines/salmon/mackerel) shrimp and raw oysters. If you're thinking you were having VitD or VitA problems (often supplemented into milk) then simply check out all the dietary sources mentioned for those down in the Vitamin A deficiency post a few posts down in this subforum.

[cassP]

i dont know your body at all... but i honestly believe that milk can help some people build stronger bones, but i also believe that in others- milk can put their body in an acidic state- making the bones weaker. ????

there's also calcium in canned salmon with the bones (tho, not yummy).

i dont really like to eat kale at all- but it tastes just fine juiced! i think kale & spinach & pineapple juiced is delish! or kale, spinach, banana, & pineapple.. maybe some coconut

do any of the substitutes like Almond Milk, or Hemp milk have calcium & D added???? they're yum too

[Skylark]

Here is the actual evidence that there may be celiac-like reactivity to casein in some celiacs. The full article is available for free. It shows an inflammatory reaction to mucosal challenge with casein in 50% of the celiacs studied. They did not challenge long-term with casein or look at anti-TTG or look for villous atrophy.

Open Original Shared Link

There is other research showing the presence of mucosal IgA to casein. Open Original Shared Link Authors suggest that the IgA and inflammatory reaction may contribute to celiac damage or autoimmunity but the research is in a fairly speculative phase. Thing is, if a food causes inflammation you generally feel lousy eating it. There is no evidence that casein is unsafe for celiacs who seem to tolerate it.