Lactose intolerance

[REWahoo]

I had always thought the inability to digest milk was an abnormality. Apparently not.

If you're American or European it's hard to realize this, but being able to digest milk as an adult is one weird genetic adaptation.

It's not normal. Somewhat less than 40% of people in the world retain the ability to digest lactose after childhood. The numbers are often given as close to 0% of Native Americans, 5% of Asians, 25% of African and Caribbean peoples, 50% of Mediterranean peoples and 90% of northern Europeans. Sweden has one of the world's highest percentages of lactase tolerant people.

Being able to digest milk is so strange that scientists say we shouldn't really call lactose intolerance a disease, because that presumes it's abnormal. Instead, they call it lactase persistence, indicating what's really weird is the ability to continue to drink milk.

Sixty percent of adults can't digest milk - USATODAY.com

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

We used to do fancy tests for this decades ago. Now, I just tell people to go off all dairy for 10 days, then go to the local ice cream joint and have a nice, big milkshake.

Then head for the hills.

 

[FUEGO]

Yes, I found this out after many of DW's relatives visited the doctor and found out they were lactose intolerant. My wife is fairly lactose intolerant as are almost all of her family who are "fresh off the boat" from southeast Asia.

Most SE asian cuisine has very little dairy products in it, and this is why. Well, it could be the cause or the effect. Ie - lack of exposure to milk producing animals and lack of consuming animal milk as adults could have led to the SE asian community to never evolve the genetic mutation that allows adults to consume and digest dairy.

There are other genetic traits that are unique to certain regions of the world, such as a sickle cell anemia mimicking hemoglobin found in many SE asians (hemoglobin E) that allows some natural resistance to malaria. Low blood iron can be a side effect, but otherwise not really harmful, just very scary when the OBGYN thought DW had sickle cell, then she researched it and found it was just this completely normal (in SE asia) hemoglobin E variant.

 

[REWahoo]

Yes, I found this out after many of DW's relatives visited the doctor and found out they were lactose intolerant.

So...I'll bet holidays at your house standing around a big bowl of eggnog was a real blast.

 

[Fireup2020]

Milk Sucks!

For interesting viewpoints along the lines of the OP

 

[REWahoo]

For interesting viewpoints along the lines of the OP

Nope. In no way was I attempting to get a Peta debate going.

 

[Fireup2020]

Nope. In no way was I attempting to get a Peta debate going.

There was absolutely NO intention of THAT!!! I just know it is not the wonder beverage it is hailed to be. There are certain cheeses and meats I refuse to completely rule out!

 

[FUEGO]

So...I'll bet holidays at your house standing around a big bowl of eggnog was a real blast.

They just have lactose free eggnog. It comes straight from the bottle of Jim Beam or Jack Daniels (or more likely Hennessy and Courvoisier). 80 proof eggnog with none of the lactose.

Christmas 2007 I believe was the last time I got really sick from drinking too much.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I saw that this morning too, REW--last night we had dinner at a restaurant with someone from Japan and someone from India and we all enjoyed Mexican food with lots of cheese. I'll have to ask them the next time I see them if they ever had any trouble with milk, since the article finds 95% of Asians are lactose intolerant. That will be a fun conversation, perhaps for after dinner, not during

 

[bbbamI]

Well...I always thought I was abnormal...this confirms it.

 

[freebird5825]

It WAS the Milkman after all...

YouTube - Milkman vs. Mailman

 

[Bimmerbill]

I talked to a lady who went to China to adopt a kid. While there, she made a lasagna for everyone. Got them all sick from the cheese!

I think my DD has some lactose intolerence. Ice cream doesn't agree with her. So far, milk and yogurt are OK. Pedi GI says it starts with ice cream, then goes to milk, then yogurt.

 

[mews]

You can get the lactose-reduced milk if you like milk, but have troubles with it.

Also, acidophilous (spelling?) tablets or capsules from the healthfood store help with all kinds of ... rumbly-grumbly ... intestinal problems. Milk, beans, various veggies, and so on.

I find 2 with the meal will really help.

ta,
mew

 

[FUEGO]

I saw that this morning too, REW--last night we had dinner at a restaurant with someone from Japan and someone from India and we all enjoyed Mexican food with lots of cheese. I'll have to ask them the next time I see them if they ever had any trouble with milk, since the article finds 95% of Asians are lactose intolerant. That will be a fun conversation, perhaps for after dinner, not during

I think certain kinds of cheeses that we eat every day (not sure which) have been processed with enzymes that convert the lactose to something else, so it is digestible to those with lactose intolerance.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Christmas 2007 I believe was the last time I got really sick from drinking too much.

Clearly, you need to party with us. We can break that (losing) streak.

 

[jimnjana]

I was in Washington DC several yrs back and passed a bum/homeless person/pan-handler who was asking for money because he was hungry, I was eating an ice cream sandwich, broke it off and offered him the portion that was still in the wrapper. He said, "no thanks, I'm lactose intolerant"".

Jim

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I know I'm not lactose intolerant as I eat a lot of dairy will no ill effects. My son tells me he has digestive problems with milk, but not cottage cheese, cheese or ice cream for whatever reason. I don't think he would touch yogurt so we will never know there. He never had any problems as a child, used to drink lots of regular milk.

 

[FUEGO]

Clearly, you need to party with us. We can break that (losing) streak.

I'm done drinking to excess. Until the next time I do it. And I can't recall when my last cops n 40's party was, but I got really sick after that. Something about drinking a bunch of 40's and then drinking a whole big glass of long island iced tea just made me nauseous for some reason. And extremely intoxicated.

 

[Animorph]

I'm 50/50 with ice cream, it may depend on total dose or specific brand. Most common cheese seems OK, though pizza sometimes gets me. Cottage cheese has generally been OK.

I found out that many lunchmeats contain whey, which seems to be the worst component for me. That was unexpected, but pretty obvious from my empirical testing.