Food and the low incidence of IDDM in Iceland

Abstract

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is one of the fastest growing diseases in developed countries. All research shedding light on how to prevent IDDM is therefore of great value. The search for scientific explanations has considered genetic and environmental factors where food, especially milk, has come to play a key role. The varying incidence of IDDM among the Nordic countries provides an opportunity to investigate food factors important in the development of dietary recommendations to prevent IDDM. The incidence of IDDM is lower in Iceland than among the genetically related nations of Scandinavia. Recent animal research in New Zealand has pinpointed a specific protein fraction in cow's milk, A1 p-casein, as one of the possible causes of an immunological destruction of the pancreatic p-cells resulting in IDDM. Milk protein allele frequencies in Nordic cattle breeds varies, and preliminary results indicate that A1 p-casein is especially low in Icelandic milk.