Center of Health™

Gluten and Dairy Free Foods

By Dr. Alan Kadish

 

This page is divided into three areas: The first deals with dairy reactions, the second is sources of gluten and dairy free products and finally some discussion of testing techniques.

Explanations of dairy reactions:


There are many millions of people who must be cautious about consuming milk and milk by-products. For this group, there are four principle reasons for their caution:

Lactose Maldigestion, also known as Lactose Intolerance, or (incorrectly) as lactose allergy.
The digestive system does not produce enough of the lactase enzyme to break down the complex lactose sugar into simpler sugars. The lactose sugar ferments in the small intestine, producing gas, bloating, cramps, and diarrhea.
Note that Lactose Maldigesters usually tolerate lactose in small doses, but are overwhelmed by larger quantities. Also note that it is possible to pre-treat milk with the lactase enzyme and supplement the body's natural lactase enzyme with lactase pills.
Lactose Maldigestion easily can be diagnosed by a test known as the Breath Hydrogen Level test (BHL).

Ingredients to avoid: milk, skim milk, powdered milk, lactic acid.

Milk Allergy: This is a true allergic reaction by the body's immune system to one or more of milk's proteins, such as casein or lactoglobulin. The resulting symptoms typically include swelling, itching, bronchospasm, hives, hypotension or shock, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
The diagnosis is suggested by positive prick tests to milk or milk component extracts or by RAST tests (not as good as prick tests) or via ELISA method testing. Most clinicians would be convinced by a positive ELISA followed by improvement after avoidance of dairy foods, sometimes adding a single-blind challenge (the doctor or nurse knows whether the patient is getting the real milk or the placebo, but the patient does not). The gold standard for establishing the diagnosis is a double blind placebo controlled challenge, but few clinicians are set up to do this.

Ingredients to avoid: all listed above for Lactose Maldigestion, and casein, sodium caseinate, etc.

Casein Intolerance:
This is when the immune system of the body produces IgA and IgG antibodies to casein, a milk protein. The community avoiding casein are the people afflicted with autism. Casein peptides are absorbed through the intestine and collect in the kidneys. These antibodies can be detected with ELISA serum tests. This is discussed on the Reichelt page which is referenced in URL list below.
There are some very rare diseases and some conditions that either improve with avoidance of milk and milk by-products or are made worse with milk ingestion.

Some examples are: - Heiner's syndrome (improves with milk avoidance).
- A number of children, with eczema, get worse with milk ingestion.

Villous Atrophy.
This is discussed in the Medline abstracts found in the Educational Institution section below. For these people the casein milk protein causes the intestinal villi to flatten, much like it does when gluten is consumed by somebody that is intolerant to gluten.


Gluten and Dairy Free Manufacturers:

Gluten free foods can actually taste good! With that said let's consider the many companies that will aid you in your quest to find simple solutions. The following listing is not all inclusive and I would ask if you have found other sources, please let us know.

Gluten Free Pantry 800-291-8386
Miss Roben's 800-891-0083
Gluten Solutions.com 888-845-8836
Ener-g Foods 800-331-5222
SpecialFoods.com
Authentic Foods 800-806-4737
Food for Life
Auntie Candice 800-245-8282
KingsMill Foods 416-755-1124
Hol-Grain
Orgran
Mrs. Leeper’s 858-486-1101
Edward & Sons 805-684-8500
Pamela’s Products 707-462-6605
Erewhon 800-422-1125
Dietary Specialties 888-640-2800
Gluten-Free Delights Inc. 888-403-1806
Savory Palate Inc 800-741-5418
St Clarie’s 303-527-1554
Montina 877-178-6585
Bob's Red Mill 800-553-2258
Chebe Bread Products 800-217-9510
Nu-World Foods 630-369-6819
The San Pedro Mesquite Company 520-212-9663
Dowd and Rogers 916-451-6480
Mochi Grainaissance 800-472-4697
enJoyLife Foods 888-50 ENJOY
Pacific Bakery
Kinnikinnick Foods 877-503-4466
Gluten-Free Designer Fast Foods
Laurel's 866-225-3432
Edensoy 888-424-EDEN
The Dietary Shoppe Inc 215-242-5302
Gluren-Free Products shipped right to your door 206-440-4147
Gourmet Baked Goods 866-758-9464

  • Abersold Foods, makers of DariFree, now has a site. This soy-free substitute works well in baking.
  • First Foods sells First Glace ice cream, a non-dairy frozen dessert which tastes just like original dairy ice cream. Made from oats.
  • Harmony Farms Rice Drinks and Harmony Farms Soy Drinks are dairy-free options.
  • Health-eating.com has several Soymilks that they sell.
  • Lactolite is a lactose reduced milk, which is suitable for lactose intolerance sufferers, but still tastes like regular milk. The site contains some information on the product, though it is by no means the emphasis of the site.
  • Millmilk is a Swedish non dairy milk based on oats - for use both as a drink and in cooking. Comprehensive nutritional details and stockists.
  • Neocate is an elemental infant formula for use in children with cow milk allergy or multiple food protein intolerance.
  • OatsCream® is a dairy-free soft serve frozen dessert. The product is derived entirely from the oats.
  • The Chocolate Emporium has Parve Specialty Chocolates & Other Kosher Confections, most of which are dairy-free.
  • Riverland Products Company sells a non-dairy dip and cheesecake.
  • Road's End Organics has three macaroni and "cheese" products. All vegan.
  • SHS International, North American Office has information on Neocate Infant Formula. Click tab for Hypoallergenic Formulas.
  • Soyco Foods has several dairy substitutes. Note that only Soymage is casein-free. More description can be found at parent site.
  • Tofutti has many substitutes that are 100% free of dairy. New is a cream cheese one.
  • Turtle Mountain is an Oregon manufacturer of non-dairy frozen desserts. Distributed in the US and Canada.
  • VeganRella is a 100% non-dairy cheese alternative.
  • Vitamite100 has a line of lactose-free beverages that taste like milk. However, only the non-fat one is free of casein.
  • White Wave sells soy milk and soy yogurt.
  • Whyte's DariFree is another substitute that seems similar to the Abersold one above.
  • Net Retailers:

    Akins Natural Foods

    Soland foods

    Net References for gluten free food recipes: at www.GFrecipes.com

    Overseas Sources: click here.


    Dairy free milk substitutes:


    Better Than Milk (Plain only),
    Breeze DariFree (formerly Vegelicious), powder/liquid from Abersold Foods
    EdenBlend (not EdenRice)
    Ener-G NutQuik powder
    Ener-G SoyQuik powder
    Farm Rich
    HAIN Rice Supreme Drink
    Pacific Rice Beverage
    Pacific Ultra
    Solait, powder from Devansoy Farms
    Sovex Rice Moo
    SoyGood (soy based alternative)
    Vance's DariFree (see DariFree)
    Vanilla AlmondMylk (not Original)
    Westbrae Rice Non Dairy Drink


    Another resouce to consider is the White Wave Cook Books and their associated reference materials.

    Testing Techniques:

    Keeping a food diary for a month or more is a very valuable technique for determining if gluten or dairy products are a problem for an individual. The use of lactase pills, as a diagnostic tool, will assist in determining if lactose is the culprit.

    There are three methods of allergy testing. Elimination followed by provocation, from blood or via the skin.

    The elimination provocation approach is clearly a time intensive, but useful method. One eliminates ALL members of the suspected food family and then after a two week period, very slowly re-introduces them and looks for a response.

    A blood sample evaluation can use one of three popular methods, RAST, MAST, or ELISA. These abbreviations represent different chemical methods of determining an immune reaction.

    At the Center of Health we use the ELISA method with both the IGG and IGE components. Over the years this has proved to be a more accurate testing method. None of these three is foolproof nor claims to be 100%. For evaluation of gluten intolerance one can check for antibodies to Gliadin a protein derived from gltuen.

    Additionally one should be aware of two other related tests, used primarily with autistic youngsters. These test check for caseomorphin and gluteomorphin, which are a combination of casein a milk protein and morphine and gluten and morphine . These are named after their interaction with opiate receptors The third method involves either a scratch of the skin or an interdermal injection (under the skin). The largest drawback to this approach involves the pain and time necessary. The interdermal approach has a number of variations. Different concentrations of the suspected allergin are used. I have found this to be an excellent method for deeming a desensitization dosage.


    Obviously the best way to "treat" an allergy is to avoid the offending substance. For more information regarding the ELISA testing methods I will post a follow up page.

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    Disclaimer -The above information is based upon the opinions of Dr. Kadish. They are not intended to replace your relationship with a qualified health care professional and they are not intended as medical advice. They are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Kadish and his colleagues. At the Center of Health™ we encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

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