Animal food allergens are 'unmasked'

Allergic to cow's milk?

http://www.netrition.com/cgi/news.cg...071015172200_0

LONDON, Oct 15, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- British and Viennese scientists
have found the relatedness of an animal food protein to a human protein
determines whether it can cause an allergy.

In theory, all proteins have the potential to become allergens. But
scientists from Britain's Institute of Food Research and the Medical
University of Vienna found the ability of animal food proteins to act as
allergens depends on their evolutionary distance from a human equivalent.

"This explains why people who are allergic to cow's milk can often tolerate
mare's milk but not goat's milk", said Clare Mills of the Institute of Food
Research. "Proteins in horse milk are up to 66 percent identical to human
milk proteins, while known allergens from cows and goats are all less than
53 percent identical to corresponding human proteins.

"Overall we found that only an animal food protein that is less than 54
percent identical to a human equivalent could become allergenic".

The study is to be published Tuesday in the online issue of the Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

URL: www.upi.com

"Roger Zoul" Allergic to cow's milk?

Is this study trying to link lactose intolerance with allergies? One of my
sons became lactose intolerant at puberty. A guy I know became lactose
intolerant at age 50. I wouldn't exactly call that an allergy, though.

Pat in TX

Pat wrote:
"Roger Zoul" Allergic to cow's milk?

Is this study trying to link lactose intolerance with allergies? One
of my sons became lactose intolerant at puberty. A guy I know became
lactose intolerant at age 50. I wouldn't exactly call that an
allergy, though.

In the last couple of years I have become intolerant to milk, yet I can
still manage a little double cream.

If I take something with milk, I become bloated and nauseus.

Is this study trying to link lactose intolerance with allergies? One
of my sons became lactose intolerant at puberty. A guy I know became
lactose intolerant at age 50. I wouldn't exactly call that an
allergy, though.

In the last couple of years I have become intolerant to milk, yet I can
still manage a little double cream.

If I take something with milk, I become bloated and nauseus.

Well, at least there is a simple fix. Just get yourself some Lactaid or
Wal-Mart's generic version. It works well.

Pat in TX

"Pat" wrote:

Is this study trying to link lactose intolerance with allergies? One
of my sons became lactose intolerant at puberty. A guy I know became
lactose intolerant at age 50. I wouldn't exactly call that an
allergy, though.

In the last couple of years I have become intolerant to milk, yet I can
still manage a little double cream.

If I take something with milk, I become bloated and nauseus.

Well, at least there is a simple fix. Just get yourself some Lactaid or
Wal-Mart's generic version. It works well.

Assuming the intolerance is indigestion from the lactose.

The study was about reaction to the proteins and that is a different
situation where Lactaid won't help. It is very much worth trying
the Lactaid to see if it works but it won't be a sure-fire cure.

"Roger Zoul" quoted:

"This explains why people who are allergic to cow's milk can often tolerate
mare's milk but not goat's milk", said Clare Mills of the Institute of Food
Research. "Proteins in horse milk are up to 66 percent identical to human
milk proteins, while known allergens from cows and goats are all less than
53 percent identical to corresponding human proteins.

Horse milk? I've never seen that in any store. I see goat milk
quite often. I thought the goat milk tolerance was from different
sized fat particles in the emulsion not proteins? That must not
be the same as an allergy same as lactose intolerance is about
indigestion not allergy ...

Assuming the intolerance is indigestion from the lactose.

The study was about reaction to the proteins and that is a different
situation where Lactaid won't help. It is very much worth trying
the Lactaid to see if it works but it won't be a sure-fire cure.

This boy started getting really bad stomach aches during his 7th grade year
at school. He'd always eaten cereal for breakfast; we changed that to
anything-but-milk and pains went away. When a child eats ice cream and
doubles over in pain, you as a parent, listen! We got him the lactaid and he
was back to eating cereal and milk again.

Pat in TX