title: Type 1 diabetes, the A1 milk hypothesis and vitamin D deficiency.
abstract: The 'A1' genetic variant of beta-casein in milk has been linked to type 1 diabetes (T1D). The keystone piece of supporting evidence is an ecological study positively correlating the incidence of T1D with amount of A1 beta-casein consumption per capita. Of relevance, A1 beta-casein consumption is also positively correlated with latitude, itself implicated in T1D through vitamin D deficiency. Ecological and biological evidence convincingly implicate vitamin D deficiency in T1D. Latitude is a confounder of the ecological data that underpin the hypothesis that A1 beta-casein in cow's milk is a causative factor in T1D.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand. tony.merriman@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Tony R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Merriman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology*; D004463:Ecology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000009:adverse effects; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D020033:Protein Isoforms