excessive gas, bloating, or diarrhea. When tested for food allergy,
however, as few as 5% of all infants actually test positive for cow’s
milk allergy. The frequency of dairy allergy in adults has been esti-
mated in some studies to be similar to the frequency in children, and
in other studies to be somewhat lower. (As is the case for all food
allergies, we do not have very accurate data to estimate the number
of people actually affected.)
In the case of dairy, sometimes the adverse reaction is related to milk
sugar (lactose). Not all individuals have enough of the enzyme
lactase to break down milk sugar and allow it to digest properly.
Unfortunately, in the processed food world, milk sugar (lactose) is
often added to non-dairy foods for flavor, and the only way to avoid
it is to read the ingredient list on the package. Sliced deli meats,
powdered coffee creamers, and ready-to-eat baked goods are examples
of foods that can contain lactose. Many individuals also have allergic
reactions to special proteins in cow’s milk called caseins. Unfortu-
nately, in the processed food world, these proteins are also frequently
found in a wide variety of foods in forms like calcium caseinate or
sodium caseinate. Hot dogs, deli meats, nutrition bars, and protein
powder drinks are examples of foods that can contain casein. Indi-
viduals who experience adverse reactions to dairy often feel like
their entirely dietary balance is affected. The consequences of
consuming dairy can detract too much from the satisfaction of
eating, or lead to confusion about the trustworthiness of the diet.
Under these circumstances, the challenges of weight management
often become more difficult.
In the case of wheat, there is even less conclusive research on adverse
food reactions than there is for dairy. But scientists continue to
investigate links between specific wheat proteins, including gliadin
proteins and lectins (especially WGA, or wheat germ agglutinin)
and their ability to cause adverse reactions. Much like the situation
for lactose and casein in dairy, wheat components find their way into
many types of processed foods, and it is possible to experiencean
adverse reaction to wheat even if you do not eat foods like wheat
World’s Healthiest Foods Help You Manage Adverse Food Reactions