Can Milk Exacerbate Asthma?

Milk contains at least 20 protein components that provoke an antibody response, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, or AAFA. Two of the proteins in milk, casein and whey, are common allergens and trigger breathing problems. Milk intolerance and milk allergy are separate entities but both can affect asthma.

What Causes Milk Allergy

Milk allergy is a hypersensitivity to cow's milk protein involving the immune system. Certain proteins in milk trigger an allergic response. The two proteins in milk that cause an allergic reaction are casein and whey. Your immune system identifies milk protein as something to attack, and releases histamine and other chemicals in an allergic response. Symptoms of an allergic response to milk include respiratory problems and labored breathing, which can exacerbate asthma.

Milk Intolerance

Milk intolerance is a reaction to milk that does not involve an immune or allergic response. It usually refers to lactose intolerance, which is a digestive reaction to the protein in milk, not a respiratory problem. However, a different non-allergic reaction to milk exacerbates asthma. Milk and other dairy foods increase mucus production and worsen asthma symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Avoiding Milk

One way to avoid breathing problems from milk is simply to eliminate milk products from your diet. This is easier said than done because many labels that claim to be "non-dairy" may still have milk-containing ingredients. Read product labels carefully. If there is a "D" next to a circled K or U on the label, the food usually contains a milk protein. Kosher food labels with the words "pareve" or "parve" usually mean the product is free from all milk products. (See Ref 5)

Interesting Facts

A 2007 study in Europe showed that children who drank farm milk, also referred to as raw or unpasteurized milk, were much less likely to suffer from asthma. However, Dr. Marco Waser, of the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University in Switzerland who led the study, reports that raw milk is not recommended for consumption because unpasteurized milk may contain bacteria such as e. Coli that causes very serious illness.