Lactose intolerance and dairy allergies: what is the difference?

 

I have heard many times at work and out what is the difference between lactose intolerance and milk allergy. There is a lot of confusion of the difference between lactose intolerance and dairy allergy in babies and adults. Here I am outlining the difference between the two and the different symptoms with babies and adults.

 

• Lactose intolerance is a lack of or low enzymes that break down the sugar in milk lactose. Usual symptoms in adults is diarrohea and abdominal cramps and bloating. In babies the symptoms can be mild colic to extreme and diarrhoea (diarrhoea in babies is a bit difficult to distinguish).
• In babies the reason for the lactose intolerance is probably due to the enzyme not yet produces at a full speed or enough of it, or if breastfed a diet high in sugary foods, where the baby is not quite ready for that much sugar. For adult the reasons are different. The enzyme lactase in most individual will stop being produced after weaning.
• Some populations such as Chinese, Japanese and Africa have a genetic trait which stop them producing lactase after weaning. Therefore cannot eat any dairy products (cows or goat) that contain high lactose, such as milk and most cheeses.
• Dairy allergy on the other hand involves the immune system, where one of the anti-bodies (IgE, IgG, IgM, IgA) would over-react to the protein of the milk or any of the food mentioned below. In milk is usually casein and can go from a mild to extreme reaction. Also from immediate reaction to delayed reaction, depending on the anti-body that is over-reacting to the protein once it enters the intestinal tract or the blood stream. The extreme reaction in babies and adults can lead to blood in the stools and/or eczema, dry skin, joint pain etc.

If one or both parents suffer of one or multiple allergies to food such as milk, wheat, gluten, eggs, soy and other foods or and environmental allergens such as hay fever, cats, dogs, horses and dust, there can be a chance that the baby during pregnancy and breastfeeding might develop a sensitivity or full allergy to the above food.  There are many researches on infants prone to allergies in their first few months up to 4 years.

In one research the infants probiotics or friendly bacteria in their intestinal tract was low and therefore giving an infantis probiotics might have resulted in reduction of the bad bacteria and therefore protection and support of the intestinal tract with possible reduction of diarrhoea and or colic and reaction to milk. In another research using complete hydrolysed support milk after a year or if not breastfed gave the infants and children some relief from diarrhoea and or skin conditions such as eczema and other respiratory conditions.

As you can imagine not many research are published about infants allergies to cow’s milk and eggs and other because of the fear of causing panic and not every child is intolerant or allergic to cow’ milk. However as mentioned above in infants with the one or both parents having one or more allergy or a history of childhood Asthma parents needs to think of a possibility that their babies can develop a reaction to the main food groups mentioned before.

In cases where one or both parents have allergies, vary the diet as much as possible during pregnancy and when breastfeeding might be an effective way to reduce the over reaction of the immune system. If strong reactions such as bleeding from the intestinal tract occur with certain known allergy then a complete avoidance of the food is necessary.

As mentioned above probiotics are beneficial in the babies and adult life to protect and heal the intestinal tract. The first probiotics that the baby will get is the one from the mother if herself had plenty during her pregnancy or did not take antibiotics prior to the birth. If however the birth was a C-section for any reason than giving probiotic infantis, to the baby after his/her birth is very beneficial.

Note: The above article it is my own research done on infants and children with allergies and lactose intolerance and my own experience as a Nutritional Therapist.

 

Reference:

1. Oranje AP. et al (2002). Natural course of cow’s milk allergy in childhood atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. Dec;89(6 Suppl 1):52-5.
2. Arvola T. et al. Rectal bleeding in infancy: clinical, allergological, and microbiological examination. Apr;117(4):e760-8.

 

3. Potter J. et al. (1985). Human lactase and the molecular basis of lactase persistence. Biochem Genet. Jun;23(5-6):423-39.

 

4. Enattah NS et al (2000). Identification of a variant associated with adult-type hypolactasia. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. Aug;11(3):149-61.

 

5. Nizami SQ et al (1996).Efficacy of traditional rice-lentil-yogurt diet, lactose free milk protein-based formula and soy protein formula in management of secondary lactose intolerance with acute childhood diarrhoea. J Trop Pediatr.Jun;42(3):133-7

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6. Wilson NW¹, Hamburger RN. Allergy to cow’s milk in the first year of life and its prevention. Ann Allergy.1988 Nov;61(5):323-7.

 

7. Rikke H. et al.(2005). T213910 DNA variant associated with lactase persistence interacts with Oct-1 and stimulates lactase promoter activity in vitro. Human Molecular Genetics, Vol. 14, No. 24.