Cow’s Milk Could Lead to Juvenile Diabetes in Children
Cow’s milk is commonly used in infant formula and proteins that are found in this type of milk may make it more likely that an autoimmune response develops that can cause some individuals to develop antibodies against their own insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This may lead to juvenile diabetes in some patients.
In a study published in The Journal of Proteome Research, Dr. Goldfarb points out that a number of papers have Identified a potential association between the use of cow’s milk in an infant’s diet and later development of Type-1 diabetes. In Type-1 diabetes, the immune system attacks and kills insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. Type-1 diabetes usually starts in childhood, it usually leads to insulin injections, and afflicts about close to eight hundred thousand patients in the United States.
Scientists have not clarified the association between exposure to cow’s milk and diabetes. They know, however, that the protein beta-lactoglobulin, which exists in cow’s milk but is not present in human breast-milk, is structurally similar to the human protein glycodelin, which controls the production of T-cells. T-cells are supposed to guard the body against infection but may be activated in error. The net effect may be that the body attacks its own normal insulin producing cells and thus may cause juvenile diabetes.
Several studies of infant feeding show a causal relationship between time of introduction of infant formula containing cow protein and risk of onset of type-1 diabetes mellitus. This paper cites the literature pro and con and discusses lipocalins which might play a role in the pathogensis. ? Lactoglobulin, a major protein in bovine milk, is homologous to the human protein glycodelin (PP14), a T cell modulator. Anti-lactoglobulin cross-reacts with glycodelin. The newborn intestine does not have complete “closure” and can pass food antigens. Lactoglobulin could generate antibody to glycodelin undermining T cell regulation of beta cells.
ref: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/jprobs/2008/7/i05/html/pr800041d.html
