Summary:
Previously published Type I (insulin-dependent)
diabetes mellitus incidence in 0 to 14-yearold
children from 10 countries or areas was compared
with the national annual cow milk protein consumption.
Countries which were selected for study had appropriate
milk protein polymorphism studies, herd
breed composition information and low dairy imports
from other countries.
Total protein consumption did not correlate with
diabetes incidence (r = + 0.402), but consumption of
the b-casein A1 variant did (r = + 0.726). Even more
pronounced was the relation between b-casein
(A1 + B) consumption and diabetes (r = + 0.982).
These latter two cow caseins yield a bioactive peptide
b-casomorphin-7 after in vitro digestion with intestinal
enzymes whereas the common A2 variant or the
corresponding human or goat caseins do not.
b-casomorphin-7 has opioid properties including
immunosuppression, which could account for the
specificity of the relation between the consumption
of some but not all b-casein variants and diabetes incidence.
[Diabetologia (1999) 42: 292±296]
Keywords Milk, casein, epidemiology, immunosuppression,
beta-casomorphin.
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