Side effects of animal proteins

[binxeo]

Hi,
I'm very new here, I probably skipped by all normal forum etiquette. I'm sure there is a welcome/introduce yourself page some place. Anyway the issue at hand has been pressing on me for quiet a while and all though google is all mighty and all knowing it can not even help me with the answer to my current question and predicament . I went vegan along with my family last April after two years of being completely dairy free. When we were dairy free and I ate something that has dairy in it, even trace amounts I would get sick, I gave up dairy due to being intolerant as are my family. So that made sense to me, that we would have intolerance symptoms. Fair enough. So fast forward two and a bit years and my eldest boy asks can we try a vegan lifestyle and I was noticing my health improvements had sort of plateaued after giving up dairy and thought why not!! It cant hurt and it didn't, all of our health's improved again when we went vegan...Yay. So we are now nearly 8mth in and I only recently discovered not all wines are vegan, I know a bit tardy figuring that one out....it was a sneaky one though and I only figured it out because all my "dairy intolerance" symptoms began to return, and sure enough now after cutting out wine and other spirits and beers my health has improved but!!!!! When I have anything which is contaminated with not dairy but animal protein I get super ill super fast, my mood changes very rapidly and I get very aggressive and its not only me but my partner and children too. We have trialled this and we have seen definite links between consuming animal protein in very small amounts... ie potato chips/fries cooked in oil with meat or battered meats. Boom instance tiredness, mood swings, IBS symptoms, heartburn, indigestion, the list goes on...Is this normal. It has made being vegan so difficult because any cross contamination has instance horrible effects. We cant even go out for dinner, which is awful cause that is what we always did for date night.
So does this happen to anyone else, how do you over come it, is it a sign something else maybe negative could be going on with our health!

Thanks for any and all help here!!!

 

[Lou]

You bring up a lot of things and I'll try to just give you the 'short answer" to your issues.

First off there is the dairy intolerance thing. You said you were dairy-free for two years. So I'm assuming you weren't dairy-free for the preceding 33 years. In which case you are probably not lactose intolerant. Although there are varying degrees of lactose intolerance. Some people can drink up to a cup without issues. Some people can't drink even 1/4 of a cup. also it is not uncommon for people with some degree of lactose intolerance for it to get worse as they get older.

However, your statement, "... I ate something that has dairy in it, even trace amounts I would get sick", does not sound to me like lactose intolerance. Over the years I have known many people* who were born with lactose intolerance and all of them could tolerate small amounts of dairy.

My advice is for you to speak to a doctor about it. There are other conditions that can be mistaken for lactose intolerance.

The animal protein intolerance you describe is totally rare. There is something called the Alpha-gal syndrome, which is caused by a tick bite. As I said, it is very rare. and it is like having an allergy to red meat. But only red meat.

The other things you describe seem to me to be totally unlikely. If they are really happening you should definitely consult your doctor.


* most Asians, Africans, and Native Americans are lactose intolerant and that describes almost half the people I know.

 

[Andy_T]

I agree with what Lou said - get tested for allergies to be on the safe side.

However, there is one small thing ...

First off there is the dairy intolerance thing. You said you were dairy-free for two years. So I'm assuming you weren't dairy-free for the preceding 33 years. In which case you are probably not lactose intolerant.

My understanding is that once you stop consuming dairy, you lose the capability to digest it. So if you consumed dairy for 33 years and not any more for 2 years, then I would not suggest you to try to consume dairy again. But lactose is not a protein.

 

[binxeo]

Thanks for the replies to be clear it is dairy protein not lactose that I have issues with, whey and casein. Before going dairy free I was on crutches full time and on a wait list to get my back fused due to inflammation and my lower discs constantly slipping. Within a month of cutting out all dairy products from milk to cheese and onion chips I was off crutches and walking normally. Now I ride horses 4-5 times a week and with all the falls I have never had back issues so somewhere in my 35 years I developed a major reaction to dairy protein. I also can not eat Soya either, same reaction.

Its interesting what you mention Lou about the tick bite as I was bitten by a tick at the start of the summer, I had to get it removed actually, I will definitely have that looked into with my doctor. And this coincides with going vegan and my subsequent health issues.

 

[Lou]

I agree with what Lou said - get tested for allergies to be on the safe side.

However, there is one small thing ...



My understanding is that once you stop consuming dairy, you lose the capability to digest it. So if you consumed dairy for 33 years and not any more for 2 years, then I would not suggest you to try to consume dairy again. But lactose is not a protein.

I think we are both right. but now it's my turn to make a small correction to your statement.

In the case of almost all mammals, they lose the ability to produce the enzyme (lactase) that digests milk protein (lactose) when they are weaned. Cats may be the notable exception to this but I think it might just be that some spoiled cats are never actually weaned cause people keep giving them milk. Humans are also an exception. A genetic mutation was selected for over time (about 10,000 years ago) that allow some humans to continue to produce lactase even after being weaned. Most Caucasians have this genetic mutation. Those people without this mutation are called lactose intolerant.

The thing I'm not sure about is if the ability to produce lactase can go away if you stop drinking milk. Maybe as a young child. But i don't think it happens as an adult.