Cause of T1

[Ailsa]

I doubt many of you outside of New Zeakland will have heard of this which is why I am bringing it to your attention.
There have been scientific studies done which implicate a type of milk as a cause of T1 & various other ailments.
This does not apply to all milk. Just a type known as A1 which is prevalent in some Western countries. The ones that have the highest levels of T1.

When this first came up a few years back it was rubbished by the then "NZ Dairy Board" - now" Fontera" who tried to discredit the research by insinuating it was crank theory. They had plenty of motivation given that Fontera is NZ's largest export earner by miles & the largest distributor of milk products in the world at the present time.

A company called A2 Corporation set up to sell A2 milk which is free of the A1 molecule which causes the problem, which resulted in various law suits from Fontera who had in many peoples view implimented a cover up.

There has recently been an excellent book published on this topic called:
"Devil in the Milk"
by Professor Keith Woodford
It is available from Craig Potton Publishing
It is $34.99 NZ dollars which is about $24 $US

This is well worth reading. Something which has particularly interested me, is the other diseases caused by A1 milk are mainly autoimmune diseases. Also some other problems to do with the brain

Many are the same ones that T1 diabetics are "prone" to getting. For example Crohns disease, Coeliac disease, etc plus Multitple Sclerorsis & Parkinsons.
I have none of the above other than D, but now only drink A2 milk for that reason.

I am reading the book at present & it is totally convincing.
Given we are a dairy rich country, when I was a kid we had complusory milk at school every morning & consumption of dairy products was heavily promoted.

I am convinced that is why my brother & I now have D.

[Alaska]

So the reason My grandfather, two uncles,my dad and myself have diabetes is because of milk?.....amazing

[Ailsa]

I'm not suggesting it's the only reason, but it is a fact that the countries with the highest number of A1 producing cows also have the highest number of T1s
Finland has the highest & New Zealand has the 2nd highest of both A1 cows & T1s.

The countries with the lowest numbers of T1s are asian & other countries where they have different types of cows to those found in the west. Japan for example.

Obviously theres some heredity in your family, but sure why not. I bet you all drink milk!

[ant hill]

I guess that this theory may have some argument over the way we see milk today as 30 - 40 years ago that milk is just that milk. Now today as you go to the supermarket there is so many different types of milk on the market it's confusing what to buy in what you want in your milk. :confused:
So there is no single bottle that is just milk!! :eek: Is there something in plain milk that we are missing?? :(

[notme]

I have actually heard this theory before and often wondered about milk drinking. My doctor discussed it with me a long time ago and said they were finding that many of the type ones that are diagnosed in their late 20's and early 30's were heavy milk drinkers as kids. I sure was. I lived in England as a child and drank a ton of milk.

Who knows? There are no other type ones in my family. I am sure that the genetic link is there for many. For some of us, there must be another reason.

[andypoo]

I can believe it's the milk,the processed cheese,all processed food. It's definetly what we've eaten the past 50 or 60 years

[JJM335]

I am sure that the genetic link is there for many. For some of us, there must be another reason.

At least a dozen viruses have been associated with the development of T1D! Some of these viruses are very common, and if you are exposed to them, the immune system will mount a response that involves "recognizing" the virus proteins. We all carry HLA markers on our cells. These are proteins that allow the immune system to recognize "self". If you are unlucky enough to inherit HLA markers that are by conincidence similar enough to one of the virus proteins, the immune system's response to the virus may also start to attack your cells. This is the basis of autoimmune diseases.

What you have is a link between an enviromental cause (exposure to a particular virus) and a genetic susceptiblity (inheriting a particular marker). This provides a much better explanation for diseases like T1D than "food allergies" about which much is written in the popular press, but for which there is little or no good scientific evidence.

Joel

[Alice]

Interesting theory. One thing I'm puzzled about is that only about 1 in 16 diabetics are Type 1...(I may be thinking US numbers, not sure where I heard this last)...one would think the milk problem would apply to more diabetics if that is the case. But, who knows? I was a milk drinker growing up...still do, but have to make myself remember to drink!

[BlueSky]

... If you are unlucky enough to inherit HLA markers that are by conincidence similar enough to one of the virus proteins, the immune system's response to the virus may also start to attack your cells. This is the basis of autoimmune diseases. ....
The same principle applies to milk, except that the protein is A1 beta casein. There are most probably a number of different causes of T1 diabetes. Theories that concentrate on just one cause are discredited because holes can be picked in them.

For example, the A1 theory doesn't explain why the incidence of T1 has doubled over the last 20 years. Milk consumption can't be reconciled with this. So there must be other causes. But this does not necessarily invalidate the A1 theory. The fact that the theory is based on epidemiological data is another major criticism. As we all know, statistical associations between variables don't actually prove anything. But the weight of the evidence is compelling. This is what Bob Elliot (the pig beta cell implant guy) has to to say about it :
"The association between A1 consumption and diabetes is very strong, and there is a plausible mechanism for it," he said last week. "The epidemiology can't be laughed off. (The authorities) are trying to stop smoking on evidence that is probably less solid than that, and the evidence that dietary fat is bad for you is much less solidly based.

"Having said all of that, the case is not closed by any means. But there are powerful forces out there which would want you to ignore it."
He was commenting on resistance from the dairy industry and health authorities. The harsh reality is, anything that threatens to upset the political and commercial applecart is regarded with utmost suspicion, whether it has merit or not.

[Dewey]

I too, have heard the milk theory...but as Andy said, I feel it involves processed foods & the like (i.e. cheese, milk & all other processed stuff). My "theory" doesn't stop there, though. Other environmental factors come into play, such as the herbicides & pesticides used in mass production of foods such as veggies, wheat, corn, etc.. Let's also not forget about exposure to Agent Orange during the Nam era & the possibilities of offspring developing Diabetes. Though some studies had shown that Agent Orange exposure was more conducive to T2 in those exposed, it wasn't necessarily specified which type of Diabetes the offspring could develop.

As with most other things, there are many factors involved. Thanks for sharing this, though. It's interesting & opens a good topic of discussion.

[jjames]

This is an interesting theory, but I do not believe it would apply to me. As a child and early teen I was lactose intolerant, and I have *always* tried to avoid milk (except with cookies.) :D Which reminds me, if you give a mouse a cookie . . . ;)

[Ailsa]

Yes Dewey, I agree that the amount of processed food & all the additives involved are a major health concern these days.
However this is just regular milk we are talking about.
Not all milk, just that containing the A1 beta casein molecule, which is about 80% of the milk in NZ

The book is very compelling & is written by a university professor who has studied around a hundred scientific papers on the subject.
Anyone who is interested might like to Google the title "Devil in the milk" or "A2 milk" as there are a few articles on the subject.

[Alice]

There was a recent national TV special about the declining nutritional content of food eaten by children. It showed a tremendous drop in children drinking milk...instead they were drinking fruit juices (not the healthy kind)...so, that doesn't play into the increases. I had thought the increase in numbers was more Type 2 than Type 1.

I attribute many of the increased numbers to better diagnosis. Many people used to die of heart attacks and strokes, kidney disease...before being diagnosed Type 2.

[ant hill]

I too, have heard the milk theory...but as Andy said, I feel it involves processed foods & the like (i.e. cheese, milk & all other processed stuff). My "theory" doesn't stop there, though. Other environmental factors come into play, such as the herbicides & pesticides used in mass production of foods such as veggies, wheat, corn, etc.. Let's also not forget about exposure to Agent Orange during the Nam era & the possibilities of offspring developing Diabetes. Though some studies had shown that Agent Orange exposure was more conducive to T2 in those exposed, it wasn't necessarily specified which type of Diabetes the offspring could develop.
Yes Dewey, As we put on these pesticides we not just killing the unwanted component that stuns the growth of the wanted plant but by having this modifies the plants natural being so are we missing the natural plants product.

With milk we exhilarate the milk production to satisfy our need and so buy doing this changes the milk structure and even we get the milk we go and modify that again like the low fat verity and other type of milk that we see today.

Anyone who is interested might like to Google the title "Devil in the milk" or "A2 milk" as there are a few articles on the subject.

Yes Ailsa, I will see if i can get this book as this is interesting reading but there is more to this than just milk. :)
Is there a IBSN Number that is on this book Ailsa? :)

[BlueSky]

.... I had thought the increase in numbers was more Type 2 than Type 1....
Most diabetics have T2, and the numbers are skyrocketing. But the incidence of T1 is also rising very rapidly, especially in the under 5 age group. Increased T1 risk is associated with lack of breastfeeding, which is becoming increasingly common. Instead, babies are given dairy based formula initially and then moved onto cows milk. The problem has to be environmental, and this age group is generally protected from infections. So go figure ....

Here is a note on the rising incidence of T1.
... Studies have suggested that incidence is not increasing among young adults, indicating rather a shift to a younger age at onset. The causes of these changes with time are unknown but the rapidity of the changes and the almost universally increasing trends in younger age groups are unlikely to be due to changes in the genetic background of the disease.
IDF Diabetes Atlas - Incidence (http://www.eatlas.idf.org/Incidence/)

[Ailsa]

Don't have an IBSN number sorry ant hill.

Regarding the discussion on children drinking milk - the A1 moleclue is in infant formula. Pregestimil for example

[ant hill]

Don't have an IBSN number sorry ant hill but yuou could try this link to order it online.

I have found the IBSN no and it is 9781877333705 so go to your local book store and see if they can get it. :)

[MinimedPumper07]

I hate cows. Next time I am chowing down on a burger I will imagine the cows sad eyes as he gets ready for me to bite his little face off.

[dgrilli]

I was told by Mother that I was given cows milk 3 to 4 months of age.

I had asked her about because one of my Doctors asked me if I was given cows milk at an early age. I told him I didn't know and that was why I had asked my Mother about this. Odd she stated yes.

I have never really thought much about it since. This was about six years ago.

Who knows.