What is Milk Allergy and Milk Intolerance?

Browse By

Milk is a food rich in protein and calcium, as well as other nutrients that are beneficial to the body. However, many people are allergic to milk and dairy products. To the point where they cannot drink milk or consume dairy products. But did you know that cow’s milk allergy can actually be divided into 2 types: Milk Allergy and Milk Intolerance?

Acute allergic reaction (Milk Allergy): It is cause by the body creating IgE antibodies after consuming milk protein. Symptoms will occur immediately within a few minutes to two hours, such as hives, itching, swelling of the mouth, tongue, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, โปรโมชั่น ufabet, nausea, vomiting. In some cases, anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening, can occur. 

Non-acute allergic reactions (Milk Intolerance): This is a non-IgE response. Symptoms appear slowly over several hours or days after exposure to milk protein. Symptoms are vague and difficult to identify. This type of allergy is not life-threatening. But it can interfere with daily life, such as stomach pain, bloating, constipation or loose stools, itchy rash, red rash, body aches or headaches, etc

Currently, there are many types of nondairy milk alternatives available on the market to provide more choices for consumers. Some products have added nutrients to make them as close in nutritional value to cow’s milk as possible so that consumers still get the same nutrients as when they drink cow’s milk. The following are the nondairy milk alternatives available on the market: 

  • Plant milk is also divid into cereal milk such as oat, rice, corn, legumes such as soy, lupin, and nut milk such as almond, pistachio, coconut, etc.

There are some special considerations when using plant-based milks, such as:

  • The protein and fat content of milk is usually lower than that of cow’s milk. For example, cow’s milk contains 3.3 grams of protein per 100 grams. While almond milk contains 1.3 grams of protein per 100 grams. Coconut milk, which has a higher fat content but still has lower protein than cow’s milk, has higher levels of certain vitamins than plant milk. Such as vitamin E in almond milk and vitamins A and D in rice milk. Current recommendations also recommend using it as an alternative to super-milk and to choose a milk that has been fortified.

Therefore, even if you have a milk allergy, you should not stop drinking milk. You should choose dairy products that do not cause allergies or you can choose to drink plant-based milk such as soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc. Which are lactose-free milk and have a protein composition that is different from that found in cow’s milk. However, we still have to choose to consume other foods that are high in protein and calcium to replace them in order to get the right nutrients for the day.