Dairy Alternatives for the Milk Allergic

Filed in archive Food Allergies on September 26, 2006

Milk is an important source of calcium and Vitamin D, both of which are crucial fro the development of bones. For those with milk allergies, this can become a problem if not supplemented with other sources. But for people allergic to milk (proteins), what other alternatives are there?

First, for really young infants, the best course is for their mothers to persist at breastfeeding for as long as possible. Although there have been some recent reports that extended exclusive breastfeeding may increase the risk of developing food allergies, breastmilk is still recommended by the World Health Organization for babies up to 2 years of age. By the 6th or 7th month, breasfeeding may be supplemented by solid food, which may supply additional nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D.

Of course, an individual may only be allergic to cow's milk, and not show allergic reactions to sheep or goat milk. Some also can consume processed milk products such as hard cheeses without problems. For older individuals, it seems that a bit of trial and error to find out what works and what absolutely doesn't, may be necessary. For young infants, obviously, that's out of the question.

If breastfeeding is not an option, there are specially formulated dehydrogenated milk, in which the proteins are cut up into pieces such that they are no longer able to trigger allergic reactions. Depending on the degree of the protein hydrolysis, there are those which are only partially hydrolyzed, which, unlike completely hydrolyzed formulas, may not be suitable for those already confirmed to have milk allergies.

One brand we've tried when my son was more than a year old was Mead Johnson's Nutramigen LGG, a probiotic completely-dehydrolyzed milk formula. It wasn't cheap, and hurt the budget, at more than $20 for a 400g can, but we've been happy with it. In the US, similar formula is the ">Enfamil Nutramigen Lipil, whichlacks the probiotic angle, but is supposed to contain DHA and AHA.

There may be other brands that would suit your child's conditions. Ask your pediatrician for advice.

Of course, for adults and older children, there are also other non-dairy sources of calcium and vitamin D. Let's tackle that in another entry.

[Photo: National Dairy Council]