Asthma
explained by common allergy to milk and dairy products
The link between asthma and cows' milk
is familiar to many young asthma sufferers and their parents.
I first became aware of the connection through my cousin's
experiences with his four-year-old son. Since infancy, my
cousin's son has experienced severe asthma attacks and has
been hospitalized twice for asthma-related pneumonia. When
his asthma attacks become more frequent or more severe,
my cousin and his wife respond by temporarily eliminating
milk and milk products from his diet, and it usually works.
I always assumed that milk worsened his asthma by stimulating
mucus production in his lungs. However, studies suggest
that, either along with or instead of creating excess mucus,
milk may worsen asthma due to an undiagnosed milk allergy.
"In all respiratory conditions, mucous-forming dairy
foods, such as milk and cheese, can exacerbate clogging
of the lungs and should be avoided," writes Professor
Gary Null in his Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing.
Very simply, when more mucus accumulates in the lungs than
can be expelled, asthma attacks develop. This belief has
long been held in practiced medicine, and many medical doctors
still stand behind this theory.
At the same time, many other doctors and researchers are
now beginning to feel that undiagnosed milk allergies may
be the underlying problem behind the link between milk and
asthma. As Dr. Robert M. Giller writes in Natural Prescriptions,
eliminating dairy products from the diets of many adult
and child asthma patients helps "not because dairy
products stimulate mucus production but because they're
very common causes of allergy, upper-respiratory allergies
and asthma (which may be an allergy in itself)."
"Milk is one of the two or three most common food
allergens in the American diet," says allergy specialist
Dr. James Braly in Bill Gottlieb's book Alternative Cures.
In fact, Dr. Frank Oski, the chief of pediatrics at the
John Hopkins School of Medicine, believes that 50 percent
of all schoolchildren may be allergic to milk, though many
of them remain undiagnosed. Some researchers believe that
the figure may be even higher, up to 60 percent of children,
according to Dr. Charles R. Attwoods's book, A Vegetarian
Doctor Speaks Out. When most people think of milk allergies,
they think of anaphylactic shock -- a severe, life-threatening
allergic reaction that can only be relieved with a shot
of epinephrine. However, allergies sometimes manifest in
very different ways, and these may change throughout a person's
life.
In Get Healthy Now, Professor Null explains a milk allergy's
changing symptoms: "Even if the symptoms are not the
same, the underlying allergy may be. A child who has suffered
milk-associated asthma, for instance, may have severe acne
as a teenager. The milk allergy is still there, but its
symptoms have moved to a different organ system, often misleading
the patient and physician into thinking that the original
allergy has been outgrown." According to Alternative
Medicine, up to half of all infants may be sensitive to
cows' milk. As a result, symptoms of an underlying milk
allergy may start as early as infancy, only manifested as
eczema, a symptom that may remain later on in childhood
and adulthood. Furthermore, in addition to asthma and eczema,
an underlying milk allergy may manifest as bronchitis, sinusitis,
autoimmune disorders, frequent colds and ear infections
and even behavioral problems.
Antibiotics in milk
Like any dairy allergy, the milk protein is probably the
cause of allergy-related asthma. However, according to Dr.
Oski, some children and adults may not be allergic to the
milk itself, but rather the small amount of antibiotics
passed into the milk from dairy cows. Dr. Oski explains
this phenomenon: "Antibiotics, most commonly penicillin,
are given to cows for the treatment of mastitis, an inflammation
of the udders. Cows are not supposed to be milked for 48
hours after receiving penicillin. Often this precaution
is not followed and then penicillin appears in the milk
in small quantities." If you or your child is part
of the estimated one percent of the United States population
who develop symptoms of penicillin allergy after drinking
antibiotic-contaminated milk, you may be able to stop your
allergy by drinking milk from cows that are not treated
with antibiotics. To be on the safe side however, you may
want to entirely eliminate cows' milk from your or your
asthmatic child's diet.
Whether milk causes excess mucus production, is an undiagnosed
allergy or a combination or both -- research suggests that
milk definitely worsens asthma. Accordingly, a diet that
is free of both milk and meat, another common allergen,
can greatly lessen asthma symptoms. According to a study
of 25 patients reported in Jean Carper's book, Food: Your
Miracle Medicine, after following a milk- and meat-free
diet for only four months, 71 percent of the patients experienced
an improvement in their asthma symptoms. After a year, asthma
improved in 92 percent of the patients. On a larger scale,
Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, President Emeritus of Bastyr University,
found that 25 percent of respiratory patients experienced
long-term improvement after following a vegan diet, a diet
that contains no animal products -- dairy, eggs and meat
-- whatsoever.
Plenty of calcium from other food sources
While considering a milk-free diet for themselves or their
children, many people worry that doing so will result in
a calcium deficiency. In a Washington press conference,
Suzanne Havala, registered dietician and co-author of the
American Dietetic Association's 1992 edition of its position
paper on vegetarian diets, said that after weaning, humans
do not need to drink milk: "Vegetarians and their children
get all the calcium they need from leafy vegetables, broccoli,
tahini and tofu made with calcium sulfate." So, according
to research, if you have asthma, you can happily adjust
to life without cows' milk without really missing anything,
except severe asthma attacks.
The experts speak on milk and asthma:
A prime consideration for those with asthma should be the
identification and elimination of allergens in foods and
in the environment. Although any food is suspect, the ones
most likely to trigger asthma are dairy products, eggs,
chocolate, wheat, corn, citrus fruits, and fish. … In all
respiratory conditions, mucous-forming dairy foods, such
as milk and cheese, can exacerbate clogging of the lungs
and should be avoided.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD,
page 316
I treated a patient who was fond of yogurt and, for health
reasons, prepared it from skim-milk powder. This produces
yogurt with a much higher lactose content than yogurt from
full-fat milk (see table 5-1). When I persuaded her to use
somewhat less yogurt and prepare it only from whole milk
without additional skim-milk powder, her asthma disappeared
for good. The asthma-causing skim-milk yogurt provided approximately
50 g of lactose per day, while she was asthma-free on whole-milk
yogurt with about 5 g of lactose daily.
The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, page 228
When I was in medical school, I read a book by a physician
who had had good results in treating asthma in children
by eliminating all milk and dairy products. When I discussed
the book with my professors, they said it was nonsense.
I guess there are still people around who discredit the
idea, but I've found that eliminating milk and cheese from
the diet can be helpful for both asthmatic adults and children.
This is not because dairy products stimulate mucus production
but because they're very common causes of allergy, upper-respiratory
allergies, and asthma.
Natural Prescriptions by Dr Robert M Giller, page 25
Type As, as you will remember, naturally produce copious
amounts of mucus, and when they eat foods that are mucus
producing (such as dairy), they suffer from too much mucus,
which can exacerbate respiratory problems. In this case,
when Type As are careful to avoid mucus-producing foods,
and when the causes of the stress are addressed positively,
their asthmatic condition always improves or is eliminated.
Eat Right for Your Type by Dr Peter J D'Adamo, page 253
An undiagnosed milk allergy may manifest in different ways
throughout a person's lifetime
Ah, milk. It's right up there with Mom and apple pie as
a national icon, a nutritional necessity (or so we're told)
for strong bones and sparkling teeth. Well, many alternative
practitioners say that all of those good things that you
hear about milk are white lies. "Milk is not a perfect
food, as is frequently advertised," says Jacqueline
Krohn, M.D., a physician in New Mexico. Milk, she says,
can cause allergic symptoms of all kinds, such as diarrhea,
asthma, ear infections, rashes, and hives. "Milk is
a misunderstood and vastly overrated food," agrees
James Braly, M.D., an allergy specialist in Boca Raton,
Florida. "Ironically, while milk products are the most
commonly consumed foods, milk is one of the two or three
most common food allergens in the American diet," he
says.
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb, page 428
Mead interviewed Frank A. Oski, M.D., chief of pediatrics
at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who stated: At least
50 percent of all children in the United States are allergic
to cow's milk, many undiagnosed. Dairy products are the
leading cause of food allergy, often revealed by diarrhea.
constipation, and fatigue. Many cases of asthma and sinus
infections are reported to be relieved and even eliminated
by cutting out dairy. The exclusion of dairy, however, must
be complete to see any benefit.
Milk The Deadly Poison by Robert Cohen, page 260
Though I haven't had asthma since leaving home for college
at age seventeen. Many years later, during my pediatric
specialty training, I made the connection: Milk and dairy
products, which I never really liked, had been discontinued
when I left home for college. During the following years,
as a practicing pediatrician, I would see this relationship
of asthma, and several other allergic disorders, to dairy
products time and time again. After seeing two generations
of my patients struggle with this malady, I've come to the
conclusion—which is now shared by many allergists—that six
out of ten children are allergic to milk protein. Not all
are asthmatics; many have recurrent middle-ear infections,
allergic rhinitis and, especially in infants, chronic skin
rashes such as eczema. Older children and adults often manifest
their food-related allergies as chronic bronchitis and sinusitis.
But asthma itself may persist for a lifetime.
A Vegetarian Doctor Speaks Out by Charles R Attwood MD FAAP,
page 74
Even if the symptoms are not the same, the underlying allergy
may be. A child who has suffered milk-associated asthma,
for instance, may have severe acne as a teenager. The milk
allergy is still there, but its symptoms have moved to a
different organ system, often misleading the patient and
physician into thinking that the original allergy has been
outgrown.
Get Healthy Now by Gary Null, page 584
For babies who are not breast-fed, prepared formulas may
contribute to colic. Cow's milk, commonly found in infant
formulas, is often the culprit. According to Dr. Smith,
up to 50% of infants are sensitive to cow's milk, which
can precipitate not only colic but also diarrhea, rashes,
ear infections, asthma, and other conditions. Prepared cow's
milk formulas may include many additives such as high-fructose
corn syrup, which can cause problems for infants.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 637
Dr. J. Dan Baggett, a practicing pediatrician in Alabama,
has been interested for a number of years in the possible
harmful effects of cow milk. Here are portions of a letter
written by Dr Baggett describing his experiences: When I
opened my practice here in Montgomery, Alabama, in I960,
I was aware of a causal relationship between cow milk protein
in the diet and infantile eczema. I also knew that many
of these eczematoid children became asthmatics later on
unless their eczema could be cleared early by dietary manipulation.
This prompted me to begin a system of dietary prophylaxis
against allergic disease among the newboms in my care.
Don't Drink Your Milk by Frank A Oski MD, page 22
We determined that Rose had an almost lifelong condition
that explained not only her asthma but her eczema, sinus
infections, and digestive symptoms as well. Subsequent testing
confirmed our suspicion: Rose suffered from a strong dairy
allergy. When she was a child, this manifested itself as
eczema; as a young adult she developed the sinus infections.
Antibiotic treatment aggravated Rose's digestive problems
by changing the delicate balance of bacteria in her gut.
And as she continued to eat dairy products, her symptoms
became worse and the asthma appeared. Now she was taking
the standard asthma treatment, which seemed to be helping,
but was causing measurable bone loss. The solution was simple.
We eliminated dairy products entirely from Rose's diet.
She was amazed at the results. Not only did her asthma improve
to the point where she no longer needed to take her medications
on a daily basis, but her digestive symptoms cleared up
as well.
Ultraprevention by Mark Hyman MD and Mark Liponis MD, page
53
If you or your spouse has allergies, asthma, eczema, autoimmunity,
bronchitis, or sinusitis, or if your child is experiencing
frequent colds and ear infections, it is worth experimenting
with total elimination of cow's milk in all of its forms.
Goat's milk is OK, as is soy milk, but be aware that soy
is a common allergen in infants, especially if it is introduced
too early.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 222
People who suffer from recurring bouts of diarrhea, bronchitis,
eczema, asthma, or runny nose, should be tested for a milk
or cheese allergy and should avoid all allergens in their
diet.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 186
The young mother of a seven-year-old boy handed me 11 a
note from the grade-school dietitian. "Billy's diet
has come to our attention," it read, "because
he no longer selects milk in the cafeteria." Billy
had recently given up milk, at my suggestion, because it
worsened his asthma and eczema.
A Vegetarian Doctor Speaks Out by Charles R Attwood MD FAAP,
page 45
They [milk allergies] are a leading cause of the chronic
ear infections that plague up to 40 percent of all children
under the age of six," Dr. Whitaker assures us. "Milk
allergies are also linked to behavior problems in children
and to the disturbing rise in childhood asthma."
Elements Of Danger by Morton Walker DPM, page 326
Milk is also an unappreciated terror in triggering "allergic"
reactions that induce joint pain and symptoms of rheumatoid
arthritis, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea.
Food Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper, page 483
A number of allergic and environmental agents can precipitate
asthma attacks, including pollen, dust, mold, animal dander,
feathers, textiles such as cotton and flax, detergents,
petrochemicals, air pollution, and smoke. According to James
Braly, M.D., of Hollywood, Florida, wheat, milk, and eggs
are among the most likely foods that will trigger an asthma
attack.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 884
Milk allergies may sometimes be penicillin allergies
Antibiotics, most commonly penicillin, are given to cows
for the treatment of mastitis, an inflammation of the udders.
Cows are not supposed to be milked for forty-eight hours
after receiving penicillin. Often this precaution is not
followed and then penicillin appears in the milk in small
quantities. People allergic to penicillin-an estimated 1
percent of the United States population-may develop symptoms
of penicillin allergy after drinking milk contaminated with
this antibiotic. The allergic reaction may take the form
of hives, sneezing, asthma, or an unexplained rash.
Don't Drink Your Milk by Frank A Oski MD, page 55
A milk-free diet lessens asthma symptoms
There's evidence that embracing vegetables totally and
giving up all animal products helps relieve asthma. In a
study of twenty-five patients, 71 percent improved after
four months without meat and daily foods; after a year,
92 percent had improved! That meant no meat, fish, eggs
or dairy products. Why did it work? Doctors say maybe because
the diet deprived patients of possible allergens—agents
in food that could trigger asthma.
Food Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper, page 352
Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D., President Emeritus of Bastyr
University, in Seattle, Washington, has found that a vegan
diet (elimination of all animal products, including dairy)
can have a long-term positive effect on respiratory conditions,
primarily asthma. In one study, Dr. Pizzorno noted significant
improvement in 25 patients treated with a vegan diet. The
diet excluded all meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products,
and drinking water was limited to spring water.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 890
Going on milk-free diets can cause considerable improvement
in some asthmatics. Though children are most apt to have
asthmatic reactions to milk, it can also happen in adults.
A twenty-nine-year-old man suddenly began to suffer from
bronchospasms two or three times a week; each attack lasted
for one or two hours. Every day he seemed to have a dry
cough and some breathlessness after breakfast. His asthma
became so severe that on a couple of occasions he had to
go to a hospital emergency room. Then one day he drank a
cold glass of milk, and 20 minutes later found himself in
the emergency room with a major broncho-spasm and hives
all over his body. He was treated with drugs and within
an hour he had recovered. But his doctors in Madrid, Spain,
kept him for further tests. Milk was the villain. When asked
to drink a quarter cup of milk, he suffered a bronchospasm.
When given dried casein (from milk) he had an attack of
wheezing and abdominal pain within 20 minutes.
Food Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper, page 355
Catherine Catherine had suffered from asthma since childhood—she
could not remember a time when these attacks of breathlessness
and wheezing did not set in once or twice a week. Skin testing
had always been negative and she had simply learned to live
with the problem, controlling her symptoms with drugs. Then,
in her forties, Catherine began to surfer from frequent
headaches and felt very tired. Her doctor could find nothing
wrong and suggested that she might like to try an elimination
diet to see if this was of any help. Catherine cut out milk,
eggs, wheat, and citrus fruits, and found that she felt
a great deal better. When she retested milk, this brought
on a headache within an hour, followed by a severe attack
of asthma. On a diet with no milk or milk products, her
headaches are few and far between. To her great surprise,
she is also free of asthma attacks for the first time in
her adult life
Food allergies and Food Intolerance by Jonathan Brostoff
MD and Linda Gamlin, page 68
David's stomachaches went away. Within one month the asthma
was gone. David was happier and more emotionally stable.
David's digestive problem was causing his asthma. Avoiding
milk and wheat products and taking digestive supplements
allowed David to live a normal life without dependency on
steroids. Wouldn't you want to know if your child could
get rid of or improve asthma (and other problems) through
diet and digestive enzymes rather than through medication?
Doesn't it make sense to try natural methods first?
Healthy Digestion the Natural Way by Dr Lindsey Berkson,
page 15
If [asthma] runs in your family, a vegan diet can mean
the difference between developing the condition and having
a lifetime of easy breathing, according tor. Klaper. "There's
a genetic component, but the other crucial thing we 'inherit'
from our parents is our eating habits. If we grow up on
a diet that's high in dairy products and eat that way all
our lives, and asthma develops due to a dairy sensitivity,
you can say it's partially genetic, but it's also a function
of eating at the same table." In the Garden of Better
Health
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition (see related
ebook on nutrition) by Selene Y Craig, page 12
We don't need cow's milk in our diets
Suzanne Havala, a registered dietitian from North Carolina,
who was a co-author of the American Dietetic Association's
1992 edition of its position paper on vegetarian diets stated
at the Washington press conference that, after weaning,
there is no need for milk of any sort. "Vegetarians
and their children," she said, "get all the calcium
they need from leafy vegetables, broccoli, tahini and tofu
made with calcium sulfate." Dr. Russell J. Bunai, a
pediatrician associated with the PCRM, who later took a
two-year sabbatical from his practice to review the world
literature on the subject, said,".. of all mammals,
only humans drink the milk of another species." In
Ghana, where he served as a medical missionary, he noted
that the traditional diet contains no dairy products and
that asthma and other allergic problems were uncommon. He
saw these problems only in people who had adopted more westernized
diets that included cow's milk.
A Vegetarian Doctor Speaks Out by Charles R Attwood MD FAAP,
page 15
Overview:
* Asthma explained by common allergy to milk and dairy
products
Source: http://www.newstarget.com/010443.html
