Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Protein In Breast Milk

home-based-mom

Recommended Posts

home-based-mom Contributor
home-based-mom
Posted

Open Original Shared Link reminded me of something that has piqued my curiosity for awhile. I'm not sure where to post this so feel free to move it if you want.

Anyway, everyone seems to universally agree that if a mom (meaning human mom) eats food containing gluten, it winds up in her breast milk.

As milk from cows and goats is in a way mother's milk - just a mother cow or a mother goat - why is there not gluten in that milk? They certainly eat gluten!

No one that I have ever seen has even suggested that there is. So, why not?

Inquiring minds want to know. B)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

My theory is that it might be the reason why so many of us can't tolerate dairy. It would make sense, don't you think?

Of course, cows are fed soy and corn more often than wheat. One of my son-in-laws, who's family owns a dairy farm says, that a lot of those environmental freaks demand that cows are fed soy, because they WANT cow's milk to contain soy! And when tested, yes, that milk certainly contains soy, and would make people sick who are intolerant to it. That's why his family feeds soy to their cows.

Ridgewalker Contributor
Ridgewalker
Posted

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

I've never thought of this!!!

This really makes me wonder.

MDRB Explorer
MDRB
Posted

Hhhmmm,

Well my understanding is that cows are fed sprouted wheat which doesn't contain gluten, so it is ok for people with celiac disease but not for people with a wheat allergy?

I think only the wheat grain contains gluten because once sprouted it turns into some sort of amino acid.

Thats my understanding but I could be totally wrong.

Also, my doctor told me that I could react to dairy because the small intestines produce the enzyme which helps you digest dairy and when they are damaged in celiac patients it causes a dairy intolerance until the intestines are fully healed - this could be a reason for you reacting to dairy.

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
Anyway, everyone seems to universally agree that if a mom (meaning human mom) eats food containing gluten, it winds up in her breast milk.

Actually a lot of people seem to think not ... I'm not one of them though...

As milk from cows and goats is in a way mother's milk - just a mother cow or a mother goat - why is there not gluten in that milk? They certainly eat gluten!

No one that I have ever seen has even suggested that there is. So, why not?

Inquiring minds want to know.

It makes sense, I'm mot sure how much wheat they eat... but they must certainly have some.

First ...

Well my understanding is that cows are fed sprouted wheat which doesn't contain gluten

Well, perhaps it does and perhaps it doesn't. Gluten is produced in the actual seed part.. this is true BUT ... Its not actually gluten does the damage but a small part of gluten. Gluten is just the delivery mechanism. One has to presume that the component parts of gluten have to be present first (and supplied to the seed head) for gluten to be created by the wheat.

Cattle are given straw which must always contain a few heads of wheat or rye etc.

So again it seems impossible that their diet is gluten-free.

Also, my doctor told me that I could react to dairy because the small intestines produce the enzyme which helps you digest dairy and when they are damaged in celiac patients it causes a dairy intolerance until the intestines are fully healed - this could be a reason for you reacting to dairy.

Its certainly one reason but is it the whole story.

I think the main question is if cows actually do pass on gluten products in their milk ... ??

Unless someone tests I don't know a resolution ... the most significant difference between cows (ruminants) and many other mammals is their digestive system...

Direct from wikipedia:

Ruminants have a fore-stomach with four chambers. These are the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. In the first two chambers, the rumen and the reticulum, the food is mixed with saliva and separates into layers of solid and liquid material. Solids clump together to form the cud (or bolus). The cud is then regurgitated, chewed slowly to completely mix it with saliva and to break down the particle size, Fiber, especially cellulose and hemi-cellulose, is primarily broken down into the three volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid in these chambers by microbes (bacteria, protozoa, and fungi). Protein and non-structural carbohydrate (pectin, sugars, starches) are also fermented.

I wouldn't want to hazard a guess. All I can say is that obviously cows digest very differently (and efficiently) than humans and a small amount of gluten might be far better broken down than with us?

fedora Enthusiast
fedora
Posted

A dr. told me years ago that "they" have found milk antibodies in babies who had never had milk. They were reacting to it in the breast milk. At the time I had started eating dairy after not having any for months while nursing. My son got congestion and swollen glands under his ear. I stopped dairy, it went away. I ate dairy, it came back. The dr. totally believed me.

I am not sure about with cows. Would make sense if it was the same.

I have gluten free friends who react to eggs , but say they do no react to eggs from gluten free chickens. We live in the country and there is a fair number of people who don't eat gluten here. I have wondered about this. They also don't eat any vinegar because they think it is contaminated. They are stricter then me.

JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

This subject bugs me. My son does fine on cows milk, but as a baby I am certain that he got gluten through my breast milk. :huh: As a baby he had three BMs a day that could clear a room! He also spit up milk constantly until I switched him to formula at 9 months. After that time his BMs were still bad because he was eating solid gluten foods. I have called a couple organic milk companies and they all fed their cows a combination of grains, including gluten. I just don't know...

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


CuriousOne Apprentice
CuriousOne
Posted

This is extremely interesting and needs to be figured out.

In california you can get the milk of cows that are grass-fed only.

I'm going off dairy now. I can't afford any chances anymore. This is my health. I don't do much diary except butter...which could have some in it. And occasional ice cream...ay.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,060
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LaurenP88
    Newest Member
    LaurenP88
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.1k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • jjiillee
      Daughter waiting for appointment

      By jjiillee · Posted

      Her appointment ended up getting canceled for today. So now we have to wait until Dec 3.
    • Scott Adams
      Daughter waiting for appointment

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Let us know how things go.
    • Scott Adams
      Cross contamination issues with Food Processing Companies

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Soy has been on our safe list for nearly 30 years, it is gluten-free. Most soy sauces do include wheat, and should be avoided. The following two lists are very helpful for anyone who is gluten sensitive and needs to avoid gluten when shopping. It's very important to learn to read labels and understand sources of hidden gluten, and to know some general information about product labelling--for example in the USA if wheat is a possible allergen it must be declared on a product's ingredient label like this: Allergens: Wheat.       In general if you see "gluten-free" on a label in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, etc., it does mean that the food is safe for those with celiac disease, and it does NOT mean that there is 19ppm gluten in it, as some people might lead you to believe. Whenever a company detects gluten in the 5-19ppm (most tests can't accurately go below this level) in foods which they have labelled gluten-free, especially a USA-based company (lawsuits in the USA are far more common and easier to win in such cases), they will immediately seek to find and eliminate the source of the gluten contamination. There is a very common myth or misconception that companies don't care at all if their products test between 5-19ppm, but they definitely do because a product recall could be just around the corner should they hit the 20ppm or higher level. Many people, including myself, now have home test kits like Nima, and companies are definitely aware of this.  
    • trents
      Options - 7 year old boy - Helicobacter pylori and serology

      By trents · Posted

      Kathleen, I am not sure I agree with you that your son is asymptomatic with regard to his celiac disease. The horrible stomach pains you describe in your first post could be celiac symptoms as easily as they could be H. Pylori or viral infection symptoms. Yes, the social impact of having celiac disease is perhaps the most difficult dimension of the disorder to deal with. It requires thinking ahead and providing safe substitutes for snacks and party foods so that your son doesn't feel left out and singled out or different. Some of those feeling are unavoidable but they can be minimized. Dining at eateries is a huge challenge to celiacs as even when you order gluten free menu items they are often heavily cross contaminated back in the kitchen from being cooked together with wheat things or handled with the same utensils. You need to be bold in asking a lot of questions and requesting that your son's food be cooked in separate pots and pans. It's awkward at first but you get used to it. Speaking of CC (Cross Contamination), how careful you have to be with this will depend on the sensitivity level to gluten your son will demonstrate. This can be a challenge to get a handle on for those celiacs who are of the "silent" type. By "silent" is meant they are largely asymptomatic. It is common for sensitivity levels to increase over time when gluten is withdrawn from the diet as whatever tolerance we may have had to gluten when we were being exposed to it constantly may disappear. Whether or not that proves to be the case, it would be important for you to have his antibody levels checked at regular intervals (say every six months to a year) to check for compliance with the gluten free diet. And I would not worry about him touching wheat food products. It is highly unlikely that any significant exposure will occur transdermally. That would only be an issue for the most extremely sensitive subset of celiacs. Of course, you wouldn't want him getting wheat flour on his hands and then putting fingers in his mouth.  At school, you will need to pack his lunches and also have conversations with the school dietary staff to ensure his safety.  I know this all seems overwhelming right now but you are not the only parents who are having to go through this kind of thing. Celiac disease is not uncommon and thankfully there is much more public awareness about it than there was a generation ago. It can be done. It's the kind of thing that requires parents to be willing to find that extra gear of assertiveness in order to keep their child safe and to guard his/her psyche as much as possible. Count your blessings. It could be worse. He doesn't have cancer. This might be helpful in getting off to a good start with eating gluten free. Some of it may be overkill depending on how sensitive to minute levels of gluten your son is:  
    • trents
      My bone structure is disintegrating and I’m having to have my teeth removed

      By trents · Posted

      Staci, take note of the forms of magnesium and zinc I recommended. With some of the vitamins and minerals, the formulation can be very important in how well they are absorbed. Many of the vitamin and mineral products on supermarket shelves are in a form that maximizes shelf life rather than bioavailability which, in your case, would seem to be a critical issue. And with magnesium, if you use the typical over the counter form (magnesium oxide) you may find it has a definite laxative effect (think, "milk of magnesia") simply because it isn't well absorbed and draws water into the colon. Spend some extra money and get quality vitamin and mineral products and research the issue of bioavailability. There are forum members who are knowledgeable in this area who may have recommendations. Do you have Costco stores where you live? Is Amazon available to you?
×
×
  • Create New...