Professional Documents
Culture Documents
www.allergyuk.org
Allergy UK is the operational name of The British Allergy Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales.
Company No: 4509293. Charity No: 1094231, Registered in Scotland Charity No: SCO39257
Food intolerance is an increasingly common condition. Milk is the biggest cause of food intolerance in the
UKi, but is dairy intolerance on the increase or are people cutting out dairy unnecessarily?
The aim of this report, was to establish the breadth of suffering and varying routes of diagnosis for dairy
intolerance. Allergy UK wanted to establish how people came to the conclusion they have a dairy
intolerance.
What is clear from the researchii is that thousands of people in the UK could be at risk of nutritional
deficiency by self-diagnosing themselves as dairy intolerant.
In fact the findings of the research revealed that nearly half of individuals who class themselves as dairy
intolerant, are self-diagnosed. Meaning their condition hasnt been confirmed by a medical professional.
The results are worrying to Allergy UK.
It is vital that the front-line healthcare professionals, such as, GPs and Practice Nurses, receive more
support in this area.
More credible and easily accessible resources need to be made available to ensure sufferers receive the
correct advice and are signposted to appropriate resources of information.
There is a clear need for more information and guidance from qualified health care professionals, to
ensure people are not simply cutting dairy out of their diet. To be able to safely go dairy free individuals
need to include quality dairy free alternatives in their diet, so there is no impact on their health.
Although dairy intolerance does seem to impact the digestive system more than anything else,
as with all food intolerances other parts of the body can also be affected.
The research asked people to feedback on what symptoms they suffer from:
I am plagued
by eczema
and itching
frenzies if I
eat hidden
milk that is in
food and
drink, so I
rarely travel
or eat out any
more. Mrs W
Self-Diagnosis
Worryingly the survey revealed that 44% of individuals who class themselves as dairy intolerant,
are self-diagnosed, relying on the internet and non-conventional methods of diagnosis.
Lack of Information
It was clear from the
research that those who
are, or maybe, suffering
from dairy intolerance
need more support.
Over half of those
surveyed (54%) said there
wasnt enough advice out
there for dairy intolerance
sufferers.
There is a great deal of
confusion around dairy
intolerance, and good
clear advice is needed to
help people that are
thinking of excluding dairy
from their diet, make an
informed decision.
Finding suitable dairy alternatives can be confusing and costly, and choices are limited, particularly
when visiting restaurants. The survey highlighted that in particular, sufferers were looking for more
information on sources of calcium, recipes, suitable dairy swaps and ideas for eating out.
When it comes to how best sufferers can be helped. Three quarters (75%) of the individuals
surveyed said their preference was to be assessed through a face-to-face consultation with a
health professional, whilst written materials and online support were also key.
Education
While the message that credible information and support is needed for sufferers, it is also clear
from the research that more education is also needed. When asked what dairy based products
triggered reactions, milk was the main culprit, but other milk based products were not always
found to trigger reactions. Because of the varying causes of intolerance it can be difficult for the
sufferer to pinpoint triggers, and often the whole dairy category is seen as the culprit.
Better knowledge for both patients and health care professionals would enable a more speedy
diagnosis for the sufferer.
Allergy UK has a wealth of information available for both health care professionals and sufferers,
even something simple as a food and symptoms diary, will help identify possible causes. Once
completed it could be used as a practical aid to help the GP in diagnosing what type of dairy
intolerance the sufferer may have.
Allergy UK has found that when it comes to trying to self-diagnosis an intolerance, most people
think that dairy is one of the main foods that should be avoided, and this isnt always the case.
People should have help from a Health Care Professional when removing food groups from their
diets, but in reality this doesnt always happen.
Even if an individual has removed dairy from their diet and feel better for doing so, they will still
need support in making sure that their diet is nutritionally sound.
There seems to
be little support
available from
the medical
community
regarding this
issue and we
have got most of
our information
and help from
friends.
Mr G
By accurately recording the times and duration of all symptoms, illness or stress, as well as
everything eaten or drunk. This includes all prescribed medicines and other supplements, all
sweets, nibbles and even licking out the mixing bowl when cooking!
This record diary should be continued for three weeks and should be representative of a normal
diet. This can then be taken to the GP to help them identify the culprit foods. Ask for referral to a
dietitian that has knowledge of food intolerance, as ideally, it should be analysed by a registered
dietitian or nurse with nutritional training.
It is helpful to keep any food packaging for reference by the health care professional.
Summary
It is clear from the findings of the report that there is still a great deal of confusion surrounding
dairy intolerance. People know that something is making them feel very unwell however,
once other medical conditions have been ruled out by their GP, they are left high and dry not
knowing which way to turn. It can be a lengthy process finding the cause of someones
symptoms.
It is often assumed that dairy is one of the main causes of a food intolerance leading people to
remove it from their diets without any guidance by a health care professional, this is a major
concern as even in this day and age we are still seeing people becoming malnourished due to
eliminating foods that are a main provider of nutrients.
Sufferers taking dairy products out of their diet will often see an improvement in their health in
the short term, but do not always think of the consequences of not having a well-balanced
diet. There are many excellent alternatives to dairy now easily available in supermarkets.
Good advice should be readily available to help them in both obtaining a correct diagnosis and
in how to best manage their intolerance in the long term. Allergy UK can provide this
information for both Health care professionals and the public via our helpline and website.
We believe it is important for us to work in association with companies like Alpro UK to raise
awareness about dairy intolerance and give support to those that need it.
Allergy UK is the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and
support to people with allergies and intolerances. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of
allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi
organ disease.
Allergy UK Helpline
01322 619898
(9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
www.allergyuk.org
Planwell House
LEFA Business Park
In association with:
Edgington Way
Sidcup, Kent
DA14 5BH
i Research carried out by Opinion Matters, December 2011, 2001 UK adults
ii Research carried out by Allergy UK, December 2012 to January 2013, 1225 dairy intolerance sufferers