<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Yesterday, Elizabeth D Schumacher <[log in to unmask]> asked:

>Can anyone tell me if casein intolerance and lactose intolerance are the
>same?
>I recently started my 7 year old autistic son on a gluten and casein free
>diet.  Are products advertised as lactose free also casein free?  Are the
>symptoms of casein and lactose intolerance the same?

Casein is a protein found in milk, and lactose is a sugar found in milk.
Some research in autism has implicated casein as a causative or
aggravating factor.  This research is controversial but exciting.  For
more details, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the body
GET CELIAC ARI.  There are other milk proteins besides casein, such as
whey and lactoferrin.  To my knowledge, no one has studied whether they
are safer than casein for autistics.

Many Celiacs have a problem with lactose. Some (but not all) find that it
clears up after a year on a GF diet.

Hopefully researchers will soon uncover whether the gluten and milk
intolerance of celiacs and autistics are related or coincidental.  The
answer may teach us a great deal about both disorders.

It is theoretically possible for a product to be casein-free but contain
lactose, or for it to be lactose-free but contain casein.  Read product
lists carefully -- for example sodium caseinate comes from casein.  This
is found in one brand of 'Lactose Free, Gluten Free Pizza'!

Regards,

Michael Jones, [log in to unmask]
Living a wonderful, GF life in Orlando, FL USA