Dairy products are good for the bones, so we’re encouraged to have regular serves of (reduced-fat) milk cheese and yogurt. But can they make asthma and allergies worse?
Asthma is a respiratory condition that causes the airways to the lungs to constrict when exposed to certain triggers, making it difficult to breathe. One in ten Australian adults and about one in nine children will suffer from asthma during their lifetime.
People with asthma generally aren’t put on a restrictive diet because it’s rare that food allergens trigger the illness. It’s more likely that food additives or food preservatives such as sulphur dioxide (identified on food labels by the number E220) will trigger asthma. This is relevant for 5% to 10% of asthmatics who may need to avoid the additive.
Specific cows milk-related diseases include cows milk allergy, food protein-induced enterocolitis (FPIES), lactase deficiency (or lactose intolerance) and milk intolerance.
Around 2% of babies are allergic to cow’s milk. In this group, the ingestion of dairy products can cause asthma as well as other symptoms such as hives and vomiting. It’s important that parents obtain a correct diagnosis for children with the condition, using skin testing or blood tests to show the presence of allergy (IgE) antibodies to milk.
About 80% of children will grow out of their cow’s milk allergy. But while the allergy persists, it’s important to seek medical advice about alternative sources of nutrition and when to consider re-introducing milk.
In the other cow’s milk-related diseases such as FPIES, lactose intolerance and milk intolerance, the ingestion of milk will cause symptoms – usually gastrointestinal, such as diarrhoea and vomiting – but will not aggravate asthma.
Respiratory allergies such as asthma and rhinitis (hay fever) are usually triggered by what we inhale rather than what we eat.
Some people complain that the ingestion of milk causes a runny nose, makes their throat feel as though it is coated by thick mucus and triggers coughing. But research studies have shown that these sensations are due to the texture of the milk and can be similarly caused by fluids of the same thickness.
Studies have also shown that in people with asthma, the ingestion of milk has no effect on lung capacity and does not trigger asthma symptoms. Drinking cold milk may cause a cough in patients with asthma but this is more likely to be due to the temperature of the milk and can be avoided by warming the milk.
In children with asthma, a runny nose is more likely to be due to associated allergic rhinitis or a viral infection rather than milk in the diet.
Why we need calcium
Calcium is vitally important in the body for cell functioning. It’s stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure and function. Dairy products are the main source of calcium in our diet.
There are particular times in life – such as during growth spurts in children and adolescents – when new bone formation occurs and adequate dietary calcium is essential to facilitate this process. Maximum bone density is achieved during puberty and the higher it is at this time, the better one’s lifetime bone health will be. This is why adequate dietary calcium intake is especially important in childhood.
Further, many asthmatics are prescribed preventer medication which contains an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid medicine. At high doses, this is associated with the development of osteopenia and osteoporosis. So it’s important that asthmatics of all ages have an adequate calcium intake to meet their dietary needs:
- 210mg daily from birth to six months,
- 500mg in early childhood,
- 1300mg from ages 12 to 18 years,
- 1000 to 1200mg in adults.
These targets are difficult to achieve unless dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese) are part of the diet. If you’re not getting enough calcium, talk to your doctor or health professional about calcium supplements such as calcium carbonate or calcium citrate.
Comments on this article are now closed.
Jane Kyle
Social Policy Analyst
Hi Janet - thank you very much for this article. I wonder if you could comment on the perceived connection between the consumption of dairy products and the occurrence of eczema?
Phillip Dawson
Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Monash University
As someone who gets the runny nose and slimy throat after drinking a glass of milk I was keen to read the article you mention here:
Some people complain that the ingestion of milk causes a runny nose, makes their throat feel as though it is coated by thick mucus and triggers coughing. But research studies have shown that these sensations are due to the texture of the milk and can be similarly caused by fluids of the same thickness.
Unfortunately it links to somewhere broken. Similarly the link in the following para that I also wanted to read is broken:
Studies have also shown that in people with asthma, the ingestion of milk has no effect on lung capacity and does not trigger asthma symptoms. Drinking cold milk may cause a cough in patients with asthma but this is more likely to be due to the temperature of the milk and can be avoided by warming the milk.
Many thanks for a great article!
Pamela H.
logged in via email @hotmail.com
We are the only species that still drinks milk after weaning. We are not meant to drink milk, especially from another species. It simply is not natural, no matter how long we've been doing it. Hundreds of years ago people often didn't have much choice, but now we do. The best source of calcium which is far easier for our bodies to assimilate, is from fresh dark green leafy vegetables.
Milk is for babies. The only reason it is still promoted is about profit.
Paul Richards
strategic foresight
Pamela H. wrote; "We are the only species that still drinks milk after weaning." We are the only species that dominate the planet as well.
Pamela H. wrote; "Milk is for babies." Hmmm .... profound comment. Nearly every culture on the planet there is a history of using milk 'after' weaning for food.
Pamela H. wrote; "The only reason it is still promoted is about profit."
Profit certainly is a reason for promoting milk, but then again health food companies promote CAM medication for the same reason.
Are you a vegan? If so, that's ok.
Sue Ieraci
Public hospital clinician
Pamela H says:
"We are not meant to drink milk, especially from another species. It simply is not natural, no matter how long we've been doing it. Hundreds of years ago people often didn't have much choice, but now we do."
then "We are not meant to drink milk, especially from another species. It simply is not natural, no matter how long we've been doing it. Hundreds of years ago people often didn't have much choice, but now we do."
So, Pamela, is "natural" better, or not? And what is "natural" for humans - a Masai diet, and Innuit diet, a Nthn European diet, a Sthn Chinese diet?
Fron Jackson-Webb
Section Editor at The Conversation
Hi Phillip, thanks for pointing out the broken link. It's fixed now and the resource is available here http://www.allergy.org.au/images/stories/aer/infobulletins/2010pdf/AER_Milk_Mucus_and_Cough.pdf
Kathy Lawson
Teacher
Just as an aside, I am extremely allergic to E224 but have no problems with E220 (instant onset of asthma). I choose wine, champagne etc specificlly based on which sulphites they contain. I avoid the ones that say 'contains sulphites' as I don't know which ones. I mention this because maybe other people who react to wine, dried fruit etc may be like me and only be affected by one of these sulphites.
Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop
logged in via email @worldpreservationfoundation.org
Interesting point on sulphur dioxide Janet, but you propagate the myth that dairy products are needed for strong bones.
The opposite is the case - for example the 18 year Harvard Nurses Health study of 78,000 nurses found the opposite - see http://pcrm.org/search/?cid=126
The best sources of calcium are green.
Monika Merkes
Honorary Associate, Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing at La Trobe University
"Calcium is important. But milk isn’t the only, or even best, source", and that's why the Harvard School of Public Health in their version of the Healthy Eating Plate have replaced the glass of milk recommended by the US Government with a glass of water.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/
Sue Ieraci
Public hospital clinician
This comparative table is much more useful, as it gives a much wider range of calcium sources:
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/calcium_content_of_selected_foods/index.html
It shows, for example, that you need to consume two cups of beans or chard, and more than a cup of broccoli, to get as much calcium as 30 g of mozzarella or half a cup of yoghurt.
Low-fat dairy is a good source of calcium as well as protein and doesn't trigger asthma.
Robert Davy
person
Janet, I was wondering whether you could comment on the recent finding (and similar previous findings) that dairy intake is related to the incidence of prostate cancer:
Song Y et al. (2012) . Whole Milk Intake Is Associated with Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality among U.S. Male Physicians. J Nutr. 2012 Dec 19. [Epub ahead of print]
Tim Scanlon
Debunker
That isn't a real link to cancer, it isn't that simple.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/453191-overview
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
Tim, you can't quote something that was published in early 2012 to debunk something that was published in December 2012.
Sue Ieraci
Public hospital clinician
Song et al found an association - not necessarily causation.
It may be that the men who died of prostate cancer didn't die of any other cause first. (We don't know the ages at the time of death)>
Also, the 95% confidence intervals cross 1.0 ([HR = 1.49 (95% CI: 0.97, 2.28), so it is possible there was no association found at all.
Robert Davy
person
Sue,
Thanks for responding to my comment.
"It may be that the men who died of prostate cancer didn't die of any other cause first. (We don't know the ages at the time of death)>"
I think you need to brush up on Cox propotional hazards modelling (the statistical model commonly used in prospective studies). If a subject dies of something else, they are said to be censored in the model and they no longer contribute to the study from that point. But the fact that they did not die of prostate…
Read moreSue Ieraci
Public hospital clinician
Thanks, Robert.
Can you show me in the study methodology that they excluded subjects that died of some other cause from the model?
Pamela H.
logged in via email @hotmail.com
Dairy also contains pus.
Doctors today are trained and funded by Big Pharma. Keep that in mind when reading their ideas and beliefs.
Paul Richards
strategic foresight
Seriously. Unfalsifiable statements may make you feel good, allow an insight into your mindset and personal stage of development. But how does it help anyone who is a critical thinker to access both sides of the 'story'?
Tim Scanlon
Debunker
Science versus random claims on the internet: guess which one is right!
Pamela, if you are complaining about dairy contaminants (which are tightly monitored) you are really going to be shocked by the amount of insects, dirt, rocks, metal and rodents you eat in any given year from the rest of your food.
You claim about doctors is ridiculous. I could claim that natropaths are trained and funded by Big BS, sorry, Big Homeopathy. The difference between the two is that one side, the actual doctors, are backed by science, actual evidence, actual safety testing.
Joy Anderson
Dietitian and lactation consultant
Note that dairy products are required for calcium in most Western diets because of the rest of the diet. Large amounts of protein, salt and caffeine increase the loss of calcium and the dairy products compensate for this. In other non-Western cuisines (such as Asian), this is different and they don't need dairy as we do.
I do believe that milk sensitivity/intolerance (as opposed to milk allergy, with IgE antibodies) is more common that most health professionals think. And not just lactose intolerance. Population studies are not done on selected people who report symptoms but on the general community, and those with intolerance are in the minority. So quoting studies doesn't necessarily prove that this doesn't exist.
Paul Richards
strategic foresight
Joy Anderson wrote ; Population studies are not done on selected people who report symptoms but on the general community ......" So what it the point? The writer has given a balanced view and recommended the intolerant are real.
Joy Anderson wrote;"So quoting studies doesn't necessarily prove that this doesn't exist" Conversely unfalsifiable anti dairy health ideas do not prove they exist either.
There is generations of older people already suffering osteoarthritis because they live with an unnecessary 'fear' of dairy products. This article goes some way to showing a balance.
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
'There is generations of older people already suffering osteoarthritis because they live with an unnecessary 'fear' of dairy products.'
This is not just grammatically incorrect, but isn't based on any science. Osteoarthritis isn't caused by fear of dairy products.
Paul Richards
strategic foresight
Mark Amey wrote; "grammatically incorrect ..... " Thank you for the observation.
Mark Amey wrote; "but isn't based on any science" So in your opinion the previous current / previous generations did not stop drinking full cream milk and milk products because of being frightened for their health. Ok, understood.
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
Paul, I assume from your post that you believe that consumption of dairy products will reduce osteoarthritis. If so, have previous generations not consumed dairy products because of some fear? Do you have any evidence for these claims?
PS sorry about the cheap shot at grammar.
Sue Ieraci
Public hospital clinician
Paul Richards, other than Mark's shot about grammar, I understood that he meant that calcium intake relates to osteoporosis (or osteopenia) - not to osteoarthritis, which is a wear-and-tear condition.
Bob Weis
Film maker
Societies where milk (and meat) consumption is low have lower rates of osteo problems - this is an affluent society disease and the calcium in milk may not be available to humans drinking animal milk. What other species drinks cross species mi
K?
Sue Ieraci
Public hospital clinician
"What other species drinks cross-species milk?"
What other species uses cross-species labor?
What other species has developed global communication and travel, health care, the internet, and food preservation?
Bob Weis - the calcium from cows' milk is available to humans - though clearly not an essential source. We can't rule our lives according to what other species do - it is "natural" for us to use our brains to better our lives.
Bob Weis
Film maker
The Harvard study is very good and their study on meat and processed meat and cereals. You won't read about it in our press though.
Paul Richards
strategic foresight
Tom Hennessy wrote: " Asthma patients commonly present thicker blood / high blood viscosity"
Are you a medical professional? Could you please post some reference to this 'data'? Would be much appreciated, as a family member suffers asthma.
p.s. there is no need to shout using 'caps', it is seen as a breech of long standing online etiquette. : )
Tom Hennessy
Retired
I am not a medical professional. Everything I put in quotes can be cut and pasted into Google and the 'source' of the information can be easily found.
"Bronchial asthma runs its course in association with marked blood viscosity"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1792610
"Chowing down on just one high-fat meal can interfere with blood flow"
http://naturalsolutionsradio.com/blog/natural-solutions-radio/blood-flow-heart-hampered-after-high-fat-meal
"High-Fat Meals a No-No for Asthma Patients, Researchers Find"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100516195534.htm
Tom Hennessy
Retired
A curious thing is they've shown alpha-linolenic acid controls fibrinogen and lecithin contains alpha-linolenic acid.
Read more"Fibrinogen level of the blood is largely caused by the lack of omega-3-alpha-linolenic acid in the diet."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101108072258.htm
Fibrinogen , controls blood clotting and blood clotting is directly connected to blood viscosity , thicker blood more inclination to clot.
"Dr. William Delamater, reported that in older people, if sufficient lecithin…
Tom Hennessy
Retired
This may be where the 'paradox' of high hemoglobin but lower oxygen delivery comes in , acetylcholine and 'sheer stress'. Without blood flow there IS no 'sheer stress' and therefore no acetylcholine?
"Polycythemia Impairs Vasodilator Response to Acetylcholine in Patients with Chronic Hypoxemic Lung Disease"
"Convincing evidence exists that a high hematocrit level produces
adverse effects, including an increase in pulmonary vascular
resistance (PVR) and decreases in blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain and to other organs. Several studies have shown that in polycythemic patients, moderate reduction in Hct decreases systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, enhances cardiac output and oxygen delivery, and improves exercise tolerance . Moreover, cerebral blood flow, limb blood flow, and limb oxygen transport can be improved dramatically by reduction of Hct to normal."
http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/content/157/5/1452.full.pdf
Tom Hennessy
Retired
The high hemoglobin lower oxygen delivery paradox.
"The decrease in running ability with increased hemoglobin above 14 g/dl is surprising and will need further evaluation. Am. J. Hematol., 2006."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17022048
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
'Fibrinogen , controls blood clotting and blood clotting is directly connected to blood viscosity , thicker blood more inclination to clot. '
Blood clotting is directed by the clotting cascade, not by the viscosity of blood. Fibrinogen is made in the liver, and it's level can be affected by the health of the liver, malnutrition, as well as excessive consumption of fibrinogen, as in excessive clotting. It's not as simple as alpha linoleic acid!
Good to see that you are up to date with asthma treatment...methylxanthines, such as theophylline, haven't been used to treat asthma in over 40 years!
Tom Hennessy
Retired
"theophylline, haven't been used to treat asthma in over 40 years"
Theophylline is still used.
"1998"
"Salbutamol and theophylline syrups were the most common types of medication"
Tom Hennessy
Retired
Quote: Blood clotting is directed by the clotting cascade, not by the viscosity of blood.
Answer: Wrong.
"High blood viscosity: An aetiological factor in venous thrombosis"
"It was found that a general surgical patient, over 40 years of age, with a preoperatife blood viscosity above 4.3 cP (corrected to a
heamatocrit of 45 per cent) will have a 73 per cent chance of
deveiopin a D.V.T. after operation."
And again.
"Hyperviscosity syndrome causes thrombosis and patients are at risk for myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accidents"
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
References, please?
Theophylline has, until recently, been used to treat apnoea of prematurity, but has been replaced by caffeine in most centres. Doesn't mean that it is still being used to treat asthma.
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
Is this some study that you are citing? What type of surgery? How mobile post op? Did they use intraoperative calf stimulators? Compression stockings??
It's 'haematocrit', not 'heamatocrit', by the way.
Paul Richards
strategic foresight
Tom Hennessy wrote ; "I am not a medical professional. Everything I put in quotes can be cut and pasted into Google and the 'source' of the information can be easily found."
The information was interesting, your perspective is clear. Thanks.
Mark Amey
logged in via Facebook
Yes, Tom's perspective is very clear.
Tom Hennessy
Retired
You are arguing pedantics now , theophylline WAS and still is used and it DID and still does lower red blood cells.
"Theophylline for Long-Term Control of Asthma"
Tom Hennessy
Retired
You will have to contact those who actually wrote heamatocrit , I just cut and paste. I suppose it was written by some science geek somewhere.
Tom Hennessy
Retired
Mayo Clinic. Hyperviscosity leads to clotting. It isn't my perspective , it is the perspective of Science , I will take credit for the discovery if you wish.
"Increased blood thickness and decreased blood flow, as well as abnormalities in your platelets, increase your risk of blood clots."
Tom Hennessy
Retired
This is curious. The following site speaks to the fact they have NO , zilch , deaths after operations WHEN they use the plant oils , but the viscosity study showed a 73% chance of death when the viscosity IS high so it seems plant oil , alpha-linolenic , DOES lower viscosity.
"a 73 per cent chance of developing a D.V.T. after operation"
http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020121horne/020121ch11.html
"BLOOD VISCOSITY AS A FACTOR IN ALL METABOLIC DISEASES"
"Dr Mark Patterson…
Read moreTom Hennessy
Retired
Asthma patients commonly present thicker blood / high blood viscosity.
"Bronchial asthma runs its course in association with marked blood viscosity"
Milk ingestion would be equivalent to a 'high fat meal' .
"Chowing down on just one high-fat meal can interfere with blood flow"
When one ingests a high fat meal blood viscosity increases and so with the viscosity of the blood of an asthma sufferer ALREADY increased , the ADDED 'high fat' induced viscosity could lead to an increase of asthma symptoms?
"High-Fat Meals a No-No for Asthma Patients, Researchers Find"