Gluten Free Casein Free Diet: GFCF
Is the casein in dairy a problem for some people just like gluten?
A gluten free casein free diet omits foods that contain gluten (found in wheat and it’s relatives spelt, kamut and triticale, and also barley and rye) and casein which is a protein found in dairy foods (milk, cream, yogurt, kefir, butter, cheese, ice-cream). Casein is sometimes used as a food additive in the form of sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, and ‘milk protein’.
On a casein free diet, all dairy foods are avoided with the possible exception of ghee. Ghee is butter that has been heated so the milk proteins brown and can be removed leaving little or no casein behind. Some ghee is guarenteed to be free of casein, so if you’re sensitive, always confirm that this is the case.
Note: casein intolerance isn’t the same as lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar in dairy products, which results in digestive upset. Lactose intolerance can be easily managed by choosing dairy products that are lactose free or by taking a digestive enzyme product that includes lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose.
Paleolithic diets are often gluten free and casein free, so be sure to check out my post on that here
Why follow a gluten free casein free diet?
Many people who are sensitive to gluten are also sensitive to casein. Casein has a molecular structure that is quite similar to that of gluten and may have a similar damaging effect on the body. There is also anecdotal evidence that a gluten free casein free diet can help some of the children who suffer from Autism spectrum disorders; furthur testing is needed.
What are A1 and A2 beta caseins?
Four different casein proteins make up about 80% of the protein in cow’s milk. One of the major caseins is known as beta-casein, of which there are several types but “A1″ and “A2″ are the most common. A1 is found in the milk of Holsteins and other breeds of cows that are common in North America. Other breeds of cows, such as Frisians, the main breed in Europe, produce milk that is high in A2 and free of A1. Guernseys, as well as sheep and goats, also produce mostly A2 milk.
Guernsey cows produce milk with A2 beta casein, sometimes better tolerated than milk that contains A1
A1 seems to be the most allergenic of the beta caseins so sometimes a person who can’t tolerate dairy that is high in A1 can tolerate dairy that contains A2. This may explain why some people are fine with goat milk products. A company in New Zealand offers A2 milk to address this problem. The research seems to indicate that humans, on the whole, do better with A2 milk products – that it’s the A1 milk that is responsible for most severe dairy intolerances and diseases that seem to correlate with dairy foods.
That said, some people cannot tolerate dairy in any form so the gluten free casein free diet is best. That describes me. A1 or A2, raw, fermented – no matter what form I’ve tried, I seem to be better off if I consume dairy rarely if at all. Interestingly, true to the difference between A1 and A2 that I’ve read about, I tend to get a stuffy nose with dairy products made with milk that is known to be high in A1 compared to A2. A1 seems to generate a histamine response in many people hence my stuffy nose perhaps.
You can be tested for casein intolerance by Enterolab, but they don’t distinguish between A1 and A2 so it will only give you a general idea if casein is a problem for you or not.
If you would like to learn more about gluten free casein free diets, I recommend joining the excellent FREE Yahoo support forum GFCFNN (Gluten Free, Casein Free Native Nutrition). You’ll find information there that you won’t find elsewhere. Warning: it may challenge your ideas about diet and health at first. It’s a great place because the members are compassionate but most of them are also sticklers for good science and truth, even if it goes against what the mainstream and alternative health authorities are saying. I recommend that you pay particularly attention to what a member named Heather has to say. Her understanding (firsthand and via research) about gluten and casein intolerance is top notch.
Check out my post: Where to Buy Coconut Oil. High quality coconut oil is an excellent fat to use in a gluten and casein free diet.