title: Variation in consumption of cow milk proteins and lower incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Iceland vs the other 4 Nordic countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of Type 1 diabetes is lower in Iceland than in the other 4 Nordic Countries. Earlier studies have showed that the cow milk proteins A1 and B beta-casein, suggested to be diabetogenic, are in lower amount in Icelandic cow milk than in milk from the other 4 Nordic Countries, and the per capita consumption of these proteins correlates with the incidence of Type 1 diabetes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether lower consumption of the cow milk protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) (suggested to be diabetogenic) or higher consumption of immunoglobulin (Ig) or lactoferrin (LF) (suggested to be protective) is related to the lower incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Iceland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The per capita consumption of milk proteins was calculated from an international database on consumption of milk and milk products and from the analysis of cow's milk samples. The samples were randomly collected from the largest consumption areas in Iceland and in the other 4 Nordic Countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The per capita consumption of BSA was higher in Iceland (0.79 +/- 0.02 g/person per day) (mean +/- SEM) than in the other 4 Nordic Countries (0.43 +/- 0.05 g/person per day) (p = 0.025). The per capita consumption of Ig was also higher in Iceland than in the other 4 Nordic Countries (p = 0.025), while the consumption of LF was similar. Consumption of these 3 individual milk proteins did not correlate with the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in the 5 countries studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consumption of BSA, Ig or LF does not seem to explain the lower incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Iceland, compared with the other 4 Nordic Countries, while A1 and B beta-casein may contribute to varying diabetogenicity of cow's milk and explain the difference in incidence of Type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali-University Hospital, Iceland, Reykjavik.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Birgisdottir
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thorsdottir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002417:Cattle; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D008894:Milk Proteins; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D007781:Lactoferrin