scientific method
So, many years ago I figured out that I am not lactose intolerant, but in fact have a dairy allergy.
Depending on my general condition I have a tolerable amount of dairy that I can consume in a week without getting any adverse reactions; red itchy hives on my face and neck, watery eyes, stomach cramping, mild asthma.
However, some dairy products elicit far stronger reactions than others. Parmesan cheese seems to be utterly irrelevant, or perhaps I am incapable of consuming enough of it to garner a reaction. Most soft cheeses are completely intolerable in even minute quantities, with the exception of really expensive mozzarella (which is generally water buffalo, not cow). Goat cheese seems to be ok, though I've never desired it in large quantities.
Doing more investigation, an allergy, unlike lactose intolerance, isn't about the lactose sugar in dairy, but the proteins, generally casein and whey. Some dairy products contain more of a certain dairy protein than others.
And so, I shall conduct a self-experiment.
Question: What am I allergic to in dairy foods?
Hypothesis: I am largely allergic to whey.
Experiment: Consume significant quantities of casein-rich food, observe reaction. Consume significant quantities of whey-rich food, observe reaction.
For casein I will eat cottage cheese. For whey I will eat...whey protein powder, as it seems easiest to get ahold of.
In order to isolate results, I will spend a full week "dairy clean" as a base diet, then I will maintain said diet but add in cottage cheese once a day for a week, or until adverse allergic reactions proves unequivocally my allergy. Then I will revert to the base diet for a week, with addition of whey powder once a day for a week, or until adverse allergic reactions proves unequivocally my allergy.
Total experiment should take at most four weeks, though it is entirely unlikely I make it to four weeks unscathed (unless my dairy allergy is cured!)
Depending on my general condition I have a tolerable amount of dairy that I can consume in a week without getting any adverse reactions; red itchy hives on my face and neck, watery eyes, stomach cramping, mild asthma.
However, some dairy products elicit far stronger reactions than others. Parmesan cheese seems to be utterly irrelevant, or perhaps I am incapable of consuming enough of it to garner a reaction. Most soft cheeses are completely intolerable in even minute quantities, with the exception of really expensive mozzarella (which is generally water buffalo, not cow). Goat cheese seems to be ok, though I've never desired it in large quantities.
Doing more investigation, an allergy, unlike lactose intolerance, isn't about the lactose sugar in dairy, but the proteins, generally casein and whey. Some dairy products contain more of a certain dairy protein than others.
And so, I shall conduct a self-experiment.
Question: What am I allergic to in dairy foods?
Hypothesis: I am largely allergic to whey.
Experiment: Consume significant quantities of casein-rich food, observe reaction. Consume significant quantities of whey-rich food, observe reaction.
For casein I will eat cottage cheese. For whey I will eat...whey protein powder, as it seems easiest to get ahold of.
In order to isolate results, I will spend a full week "dairy clean" as a base diet, then I will maintain said diet but add in cottage cheese once a day for a week, or until adverse allergic reactions proves unequivocally my allergy. Then I will revert to the base diet for a week, with addition of whey powder once a day for a week, or until adverse allergic reactions proves unequivocally my allergy.
Total experiment should take at most four weeks, though it is entirely unlikely I make it to four weeks unscathed (unless my dairy allergy is cured!)
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