The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Cow’s milk has been part of the human diet for at least 8,000 years and provides a rich source of proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Despite its longstanding importance in human nutrition, questions remain about how compatible cow’s milk is with our immune system. Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is the most common form of food allergy in infants and children and cow’s milk has been implicated in a number of immune-mediated disorders. Reviewing current research obtained through Google Scholar and Touro’s library database on CMA and the potential role of cow’s milk in systemic inflammation and autoimmunity reveals a tangle of contradictory findings and competing explanations. While current research does not indicate a significant connection between cow’s milk and systemic inflammation in healthy adults or to rheumatoid arthritis, it does provide significant, if contested evidence for the role of cow’s milk in type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and Behcet’s disease. These evolving findings must be considered when we evaluate the current nutritional guidelines on cow’s milk.
Recommended Citation
Knopfler, M. (2016). How Compatible is Cow’s Milk with the Human Immune System?. The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences, 9(2). Retrieved from https://touroscholar.touro.edu/sjlcas/vol9/iss2/11
