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66 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / November 2015 / WomensHealthSA.co.za
Healthy Dose
Whether you’re vegan, allergic to dairy
or it just doesn’t suit you, you’re in luck as
SA shelves are now packed with a variety
of substitutes. Many of them are lower
in kilojoules than cow’s milk – and offer
other nutrients.“Theseproductsareoften
fortified, so nutrients are added to them,
alongwithsugarandfattomakethemmore
palatable,” says dietician Dr Celeste Naudé.
“Select a milk alternative that’s as nutrient-
dense[ascow’smilk],withoutloadsofadded
sugarandfat.Itshouldatleasthavecalcium
added – other vitamins and minerals in
reasonable amounts will be beneficial.”
Butthequestionis, are you actuallyallergic?
Allergyvs
intolerance
“These are two completely
different conditions,” says
Naudé.“Lactoseintolerance
isa foodintolerancewhere
certain individuals have
reduced activity of or lack
the digestive enzyme called
lactase. This enzyme breaks
down lactose, which is the
basic sugar found in dairy
products. If the lactose is
not digested it ends up in
the large intestine where
it ferments, producing
symptoms like nausea,
flatulence,pain,bloating
and diarrhoea.”
True allergic reactions
happen quite soon after
eating and involve the
immune system. “An
allergy is essentially
whenanormallyharmless
substanceisperceivedby
thebodyasathreatandthe
threatisthenattackedby
thebody’simmunological
defences.” Your immune
systemreleasesantibodies,
whichtriggersunpleasant
responses,likerashes,itchy
nose and eyes, wheezing,
coughing,sneezing,nausea,
itchy lips and mouth,
bloating,cramping,vomiting
anddiarrhoea.“Allergensare
mostoftenproteinmolecules
in food,” explains Naudé.
Adult-onsetallergies
Soyou’vebeeneatingone
wayyourwholelifeandall
of a suddenyoucan’thave
that blue-cheese sauce
without almost-instant
crampsandnumeroustrips
to the bathroom. What
gives?AccordingtoNaudé,
“Thecauseofanadult-onset
foodallergyisnotyetclearly
understood and there are
manypossibilities,whichare
beingexploredbycontinued
research.Atthisstage,there
isn’t one standout cause
that applies to everyone
consistently.”Someresearch
shows that an attack on
the immune system, like
a viralillness,mighttrigger
a reaction,leadingtoanew
attackonapreviouslytolerated
food protein. “Most food
allergies start in childhood,
but the prevalence of adult-
onsetallergiesisontherise,”
says Jae Braun, principal
dietician at the Discovery
Store in Cape Town.
“Somestudieshavehinted
thatourmoderncleanliness
and hygiene practices and
Westernised diet, high in
meat, sugar and fat, may
playarolebydisturbingthe
healthy microbes or bacteria
thatliveinourguts,increasing
our susceptibility to food
allergies,” says Braun. >
Lactose-intolerant?
Allergic to dairy?
Know the difference?
There’s never been a better
time for alternatives
than right now
By Amy Rankin
GotMilk
(Issues)?
GALLOIMAGES/GETTYIMAGES.COM

2. 68 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / November 2015 / WomensHealthSA.co.za
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM;JAMESGARAGHTY(STILLS)
KOKO DAIRY
FREE (R45)
106kJ/100ml,
100mg sodium
Soy-free
Added vitamins:
calcium (120mg),
vitamin B12,
vitamin D2
Taste: 6/10 – too
coconutty for tea.
Use it for baking.
LIFESTYLE FOOD
OAT DRINK (R30)
160kJ/100ml,
<0.04mg sodium
GMO-free
No added sugar
Soy-free
Added vitamins:
none
Taste: 7/10 – great
for cereal, but
contains gluten.
ORGANIC
UNSWEETENED
SOYA DRINK
(R32)
145kJ/100ml,
14mg sodium
Organic
No added sugar
Added vitamins:
calcium (120mg)
Taste: 7/10 – mild
and versatile.
NUTRIMY RICE
VEGETABLE
DRINK (R53)
287kJ/100ml,
125mg sodium
Organic
No added sugar
Soy-free
Added vitamins:
none
Taste: 8/10 – it’s
naturally sweet.
ALMOND BREEZE
UNSWEETENED
ALMOND MILK
(R35) 64kJ/100ml,
61mg sodium
No added sugar
Soy-free
Added vitamins:
calcium (130mg),
vitamins A, D and E
Taste: 8/10 – delish
in coffee.
IF YOU’RE ALLERGIC:
“Unfortunately, because the protein
in goat’s milk has a similar structure
to that of cow’s milk, in most cases
the body’s immune system will
mistake the two and cause an
allergic reaction to goat’s milk
or cheese – and the same goes
for buffalo’s milk or cheese.”
IF YOU’RE LACTOSE-
INTOLERANT: “Milk from goats
and buffaloes contains a similar
amount of lactose to that found
in cow’s milk. Your tolerance
levels are dependent on how
much of the lactase enzyme
your body produces.”
Milking It
Fresh low-fat cow’s milk contains around 120mg calcium, 50mg sodium and 200kJ
per 100ml. We compare these stats to five alternative milks on SA shelves right now
WH Online > Visit WomensHealthSA.co.za for dairy-free recipes.
Don’t Get
Your Goat
Think goat’s cheese
or buffalo’s milk is
a good alternative?
Dietician Jae Braun
begs to differ
clotting,blood-vesselcontraction
and dilation, secretion of
enzymes and hormones and
nervefunctioning,saysNaudé.
Avoiding dairy products
may make it harder to meet
your calcium requirements,
“which is especially important
for post-menopausal women,”
emphasises Braun.
Calcium and vitamin D
combined are the major
nutrients involved in bone
health. “Bone health begins
at a young age for women
andweacquireabout85to90
Check Your Symptoms
If you experience any of these symptoms within
two hours of consuming dairy, it’s time to get tested:
Eczema
Wheezing, coughing
or shortness of breath
Hives or rashes
Oedema
(swelling)
Cramps
Itchy eyes, mouth,
lips or nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhoea
“Foodadditives,generalair
pollutionandevenregularuse
ofantacidsarealsothoughtto
playaroleinadult-onsetfood
allergies,”sheadds.
Areallergiesforever?
It’snotthebestnews,but,it
turnsout,adult-onsetallergies
tend to stick around like
a bad smell and the experts
don’t yet know why. Luckily,
“manychildrenoutgrowtheir
childhoodfoodallergies,but,in
somecases,thesecanreappear
inadulthood,”saysBraun.
However,someallergiesare
more likely to disappear than
others.“Themorecommon
allergieslikemilk,egg,soyor
wheattend to be outgrown, but
those who are allergic to nuts,
fishor shellfisharemuchless
likelytolosetheirallergy–no
mattertheirage,”saysBraun.
Ischeatingokay?
Adult-onset food allergies are
associated with higher risk of
strongreactions.“In severecases
a person can have an allergic
reaction by consuming even
tiny amounts of milk protein.”
If this is you, it’s best to avoid
all dairy and milk proteins. Yes,
even Brie. In less severe cases,
it’s possible that you might be
able to have small traces of milk
proteins found in cooked foods.
“If the allergy is quite mild, it’s
possible that you could consume
small amounts of processed
dairy such as yoghurt or cheese,”
says Braun. Just to be on the
safe side, we reckon it’s better
to avoid that milk tart... Even
if youroumamadeit.Sorry!
Gettested
If you suspect you’ve got
a food allergy, the first thing
to do is visit your GP and
explainyoursymptoms.You’ll
then havetotakeabloodtest
–theresultstypicallytake
aweektogetback.Onceyou
knowifyou’reallergic,Braun
adviseskeepingastricteyeon
packagedfoods–evenunlikely
productssuchasdressingsand
packetsofcrispscan contain
cow’s milk, for example.
Book an appointment with
a dietician, who will tailor-
make a meal plan for you.
Thecalcium
conundrum
Calciumisanutrientessential
for bone and dental health,
aswellasotherfunctions,like
muscle contraction, blood
percentofourbonemassduring
childhood and adolescence.
By about age 18, our bones are
completely formed. If there
isn’t enough calcium deposited
in our bones during childhood,
they may become weaker later
in life, resulting in fragile bones
and, possibly, bone disease such
as osteoporosis,” adds Naudé.
Therecommendeddailydose
ofcalciumforwomenis1000mg
and,afterage50,thisincreases
to 1 200mg. But if you can’t eat
dairy, this doesn’t mean you’re
missing out. While taking an
OTCsupplementisoneoption,
Braun recommends rather
gettingyournutrientsin their
naturalform.Hellobroccoli,
sardines and hummus!