On Fri, 31 May 2002 12:08:30 -0500, Darko Mrakovcic <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Of course, the
>first naive interpretation of this could be that proteins from closely
>related species should be more more harmful (e.g. mammalian vs poultry-
>derived, animal-derived vs plant-derived etc).

The protein digestion goes stepwise, big proteins are cracket into more and
more smaller parts untill only shorte peptide chains should reach the
intestines.
If the process is incomplete the breakdown parts of mammalian proteins will
shurely resemble our own body protein parts closer than any far-away
protein. The issue of "molecular mimicry" which has been discussed here
claims that certain (rather short) polypeptides of gluten display sequences
which are similar to some ordinary human proteins, which the imune system
will attack then. I'd imagine that the same would occur, even more probable
with mammalian popypeptide sequences.
You think about gluten displaying animal polypeptide sqeuences on purpose of
beeing similar to certain human proteins.
I think that could be the case, but I think it's not very probable. At last
gluten displays sensitivities in a small minority of humans only.
I assume that the frequency of autoimune reaction depends simply on the
amount or frequency some protein was eaten. If it encounters a permeable gut
situation the imune reaction will be against this one.
Milk and wheat proteins are the sort of proteins which are simply present in
nearly every ordinary western dient. Which body protein displays a
similarity then is just a question of luck and chance then.


My own allergies (soy,hazel) happen to be on proteins which are very
frequent too. These two items are mixed into very much mixed or preprepared
food items.

A friend of mine with hay fever reports that such proteins or animals closer
to a human cause the biggest allergy problems.
Pig for some reason beein the closest cattle less, goats even less,
and birds beeing quite far away causing the least problems for him.

For him, 6 weeks of animal protein free diet before the start of the spring
season cures his hay fewer for the whole season.

> If the answer is affirmative, it would seem to
>me that consuming (often lectin-rich)plant-derived food and (protein-rich)
>animal-derived food at different meals is of crucial importance.

I think that could have been the way how I aquired my meat allergy.
Some weak condition, possibly caused or aggravated by a lectin food,
at the same time with the meat, will have allowed to enter the meat proteins
into my blood stream.

regards

Amadeus S