Milk Allergies Prevented by Milk?
Written by Natalie Hopkins
Edited by Pooja Dandekar
May 2, 2021
Edited by Pooja Dandekar
May 2, 2021
Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, and even hemp milk all appear to be popular among the ever growing population of people who suffer from milk allergies. Could prenatal influences be responsible for this? Given the recent health trends of plant milks and dairy free diets, young women are consuming less cow’s milk than ever before. (Stravik et al. 2020) Mia Stravik, at Chalmers University of Technology, recently led a study that examined the correlation between pregnant mothers’ milk consumption and the absence of milk allergies in their babies . 500 pregnant women were sampled, taking into account factors that could disrupt data, tracking their eating habits and milk consumption at three different points during the pregnancy.
A clear correlation was found between lack of milk allergies in infants and mothers drinking cow’s milk. (Stravik et al. 2020) While other studies trying to prove this hypothesis have been conducted, they rely primarily on questionnaires. Stravik’s study, which tracked biomarkers specific to dairy in the mother’s digestive tract, gathers data more effectively. The logic behind this discovery is that exposure is important in order for infants to develop healthy immune systems. This idea is called “The Hygiene Hypothesis” and states that contact with microorganisms can lead to a boost in immunity during a baby’s development. Thanks to modern technology and policies that have increased the standard of living, babies have less contact with microorganisms— which means a reduction of the hypothesized boost in immunity. (Sandberg et al. 2020).
Since allergies are the most common disease amongst children, this study’s findings are incredibly important. However, this discovery is a correlation study, meaning that the cause for the lack of milk allergies isn’t proven to be a result from exposure to milk. (Barman et al 2020) Yet according to Stravik and her team, many other variables or potential causes were accounted for and regardless of how the data was presented, the results all clearly indicated truth to this hypothesis. While dairy free diets boast their benefits, the consumption of milk may prevent infant milk allergies and perhaps lead to better developed immune systems.
Works Cited
Chalmers University of Technology. (2020, December 21). Drinking milk while breastfeeding may reduce the child's food allergy risk. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 2, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201221101146.htm
Stråvik, Mia et al. “Maternal Intake of Cow’s Milk During Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring.” Nutrients 12.12 (2020): 3680. Crossref. Web.