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Eighty percent of cow's milk is made up of
Casein. It is also the
most important allergen found in cheese. The harder the cheese the more
casein it has.
The other 20% is made up of whey. It is composed
of two main allergenic proteins, namely alpha lactalbumin and beta
lactaglobulin.
Milk allergy usually starts in infancy. There
are
studies that show that two to three percent of infants have milk
allergy but most outgrow it within the first few years. By the age of
four, sixty percent of milk allergic infants out grow their milk
allergy another eight percent outgrow it by the age of six, but there
are those who never outgrow it.
Though a lot become milk allegry sufferes as
infants, cow's milk allergy can be acquired later in life.
Symptoms
Milk allergy symptoms can be seen on the skin or
felt in the digestive system or respiratory system.
Milk
allergy causes skin reactions that can be an itchy red rash, hives,
eczema, allergic "shiners" (black eyes), and swelling of the lips,
mouth, tongue, face or throat.
Digestive system reactions of milk allergy
sufferers might be nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, bloating, or
abdominal cramps.
Respiratory
system reactions of those with milk allergy are runny nose, sneezing,
watery eyes, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, wheezing, shortness of
breath, or coughing, or even anaphylactic shock.
Some people can
have a reddish ear love or a hazy look in their eyes. Another symptom
that can be had from milk allergy is bedwetting, inattentiveness, and
lethargy.
Avoidance is the key with allergies. That means
not
drinking milk. Someone that has milk allergy has to be very careful in
what products to buy. They have to read the product labels and see what
milk proteins that are contained within. Milk maybe the hidden allergen
in a lot of processed meats like hotdogs, pepperoni, salami, sausage
and bologna. There are also some non-dairy products that contain casein.
There
are some other milk products that can be substituted for cow's milk.
milk allergy sufferes find this useful when baking and cooking food.
The type of milk substitute depends on the food that it will be used
for.
Rice milk is good for drinking and cereal. It
can be used
for baking or as a thickening agent and is perfect for those with milk
allergy.
Some recipes you can have broth, juice or water
as a substitute for cow’s milk.
In
some cases a person with milk allegry can use goat's milk or soy milk.
However, these types of milk are also allergenic and the person
allergic to cow's milk will often be allergic to goat's milk as well.
Having
milk allergy does not mean that you can bypass the calcium requirement
in your nutrition. The recommended daily allowance of a person depends
on the age. Good sources of calcium aside from milk are green
vegetables, fish with soft edible bones, and seafood.
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