Infant diet, gluten, and casein:
Infant formulas with casein, a milk protein likely has better alternatives. A hydrolyzed whey protein formula has significant benefits over casein formulas. A study found that cow milk peptides in baby’s blood were on average three times higher in babies which had a near-sudden infant death syndrome event compared with healthy infants. The peptide tested for was beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) which is similar to a protein but is much smaller and can induce somnolence similar to opiate medications. This compound is able to stimulate mucin secretion and opioid receptor activation. BCM-7 is able to cross the blood-brain and can activate opioid receptors. This study confirmed that bovine BCM-7 exists in the blood of human babies BCM-7 which may be a risk factor for near-sudden infant death syndrome events compared to a group of healthy infants. (15)