Could whey protein be allergic ?

[davedd44]

Hi,

I have never taken Whey Protein.

I am allergic to cheese. I get headaches if I take cheese.

Is whey derived from cheese or from milk or some other whey ?

Would taking whey protein trigger allergic reactions ?

Has anybody experienced any problems with whey protein ?

Please help.

Thank you.
Dave

[sonick]

Cheese is just a cultured form of milk. They are both dairy products, and whey is a protein product of milk.

An allergic reaction to dairy is rare but it happens. You would get the similar reactions of a server immune system response but it there is some variation to where your body rejects the dairy. The reactions include hives, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, just like most other food allergies.

Lactose intolerance, totally different, involves a bad case of farts and maybe the chitz.

I'm guessing the headaches are something in your head, they really aren't a sole reaction to cheese. But in any case, lactose intolerance can be overcome with lactase enzyme or Lactaid, and dairy allergies can be overcome with an antihistamine like Benadryl and other medicines used for allergic reactions.

[Ruby Soho]

Only one way to find out.

[kroniks]

Get Lactaid milk w/o lactose in it.

[sonick]

Get Lactaid milk w/o lactose in it.

Read my comment. Lactose intolerance is not a milk allergy. They are two different things, and lactose intolerance does not cause headaches.

[Nathan1]

you're not allergic to cheese. you're lactose intolerant. as far as whey is concerned, buy whey protein isolate, works for me. as far as milk is concerned, but organic non-homogenized.

[davedd44]

This is a little technical question but one that would help if I am going to get allergic reaction or not because I am allergic to the cheese & not intolerant to lactose so lactose will not affect me.

Is whey made after the cheese is formed or before?

Thanks

[GimpyPaw]

My understanding is that whey is skimmed from the vats as the milk turns into cheese.

[davedd44]

GimpyPaw

Stupid question but what is vats ?

[GimpyPaw]

davedd4, not a stupid question at all. Vats, as in great big bowls or containers where the milk is poured in and allowed to curdle. As the bacteria that turn whole milk into cheese work it breaks down the milk and waste products from the bacteria are released. These things are "skimmed" from the top. Among them are whey and curds. Later in the process, as the mix stiffens, it is poured into molds to form the loafs.

I used to visit Tillamook, OR a lot when I was a kid. It's been a long time since I did a tour of the cheese factory, so I'm a little hazzy on this stuff, but that's as best as I can remember.

[paulclayton]

If you are lactose intolorant then whey isolate should be good for you but it you have an allergy to milk products then I'm not sure.

[BringnIt]

An isolate MAY take care of the problem, and a hydrolyzed whey should.

[whutevr]

Hi,

I have never taken Whey Protein.

I am allergic to cheese. I get headaches if I take cheese.

Is whey derived from cheese or from milk or some other whey ?

Would taking whey protein trigger allergic reactions ?

Has anybody experienced any problems with whey protein ?

Please help.

Thank you.
Dave

I'm assuming you have had tests done for your allergy. Check with the doc and he can check the results to tell you what it was in the cheese allergy that caused the reaction. Could be anything from the protein, to lactose, to mold (cheese is fermented dairy).

[Axel]

i drank regular milk products and had various cheeses growing up. i also had seasonal allergies. when i learned about the blood-type diet i eliminated problem foods and started experimenting with the foods that were considered "avoid" foods for my genetic type. i found that the unacceptable milk products did indeed cause allergy symptoms, especially during what used to be my seasonal allergy times. now that i know what to avoid i no longer have seasonal allergies. some substances in foods (for me wheat and dairy products) can cause an auto-immune swelling of nervous tissue, which can be experienced as a headache (barley does this too, i know because i'm aware of my alcohol tolerances and one beer can give me a headache the next morning). i've learned that i react to even the cross-flow microfiltrated whey protein isolate, which i think is about as pure as you can get. i have tension in my upper back, allergy symptoms, a dense feeling in my stomach, shortened and constricted breathing patterns and a feeling of irritability as well as headache. if i eat too much CFM whey the next day i will have red eyes. i will also feel tired and crappy.

the milk industry, and healthy and supplement industry, may not want people to know about this, even though not everyone in the population experiences these symptoms. i would suggest to those who find they may suffere from this that they consider egg proteins as an alternative to the other powdered forms of protein.

for me it is basically like getting a transfusion of the wrong blood-type, an immune system reaction which is very unpleasant. i wonder if the increase in white blood cells may simply be a result of this immune system aggravation, instead of an "immune enhancing" effect of the whey protein...

[Magnetic]

you're not allergic to cheese. you're lactose intolerant. as far as whey is concerned, buy whey protein isolate, works for me. as far as milk is concerned, but organic non-homogenized.

As another poster stated above, there is a marked difference between lactose intolerance and milk allergies. The two should not be confused. The original poster exhibits symptoms of a milk allergy, but that can only be confirmed by allergen stimulation tests. Lactose intolerance results in gastric distress, whereas milk allergies may result in congestion, hives, etc. Besides, dairy byproducts such as cheese and yogurt have minimal to no lactose. Most lactose intolerant individuals can consume such products without any side-effects. Dave, if you do not intend to visit an allergist, consider being attentive to whether or not you have congestion along with your headache the next time you consume cheese products. If so, it may be an indicator of a milk allergy.

[Magnetic]

i wonder if the increase in white blood cells may simply be a result of this immune system aggravation, instead of an "immune enhancing" effect of the whey protein...

White blood cell differentiation and proliferation is an altogether separate mechanism from an allergic immune response.