The Nature of Dairy Allergies

Dairy allergy is a kind of food allergy characterized by an adverse immune reaction to one or more of the proteins from cow's milk or from milk of other animals. These proteins are not normally harmful to most people who are non-allergic. Milk allergy can sometimes produce a serious condition called anaphylaxis, a fatal medical condition. The allergy of this kind triggers the body to produce immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody to repel the "invading" allergens--the milk proteins--resulting in allergy symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and wheezing.

Animal milk is normally composed of two types or proteins: whey (20%) and casein (80%). These proteins are heat resistant so boiling the milk will not help in most cases. People with allergies from dairy should get other sources of vitamin D and calcium in their diets.

Dairy allergy can also refer to allergy to eggs. The children are the ones commonly affected by this type of allergy. Most of the time, raw egg white is more likely to cause allergic reactions than cooked egg white.

In addition, allergy to dairy should not be confused be lactose intolerance, which is considered a normal state for adults worldwide and is not considered a disease.