crm@rti.UUCP (01/08/84)
Lactose intolerance is NOT uncommon -- in fact, about 75% of mankind does not tolerate lactose at all well after the age of about ten months to one year. The reason that is seems not common to people in the US is that northern Europeans are the group with the highest incedence of lactose *tolerance*, (something like 96%, but I don't have the books at hand.) This all puts a little different light on all those programs that used to be aimed at putting milk in the mouths of little Third World abaes, doesn't it? In fact, one of the reasons that this was discovered is that the children who were getting the milk seemed to have an untoward incidence of diarrhea and similar digestive problems. Cooked milk -- really cooked, not pasteurized -- is easier to tolerate (being lactose intolerant myself, I am learning these things) but still has at least some lactose. As far as why the body can't handle pasteurized milk as well as raw OR cooked milk, I dunno -- but it seems plausible that the heat-induced protein changes could cause the bonds that our enzymes attack to be changed some how, at a lower temperature/shorter time than the changes induced by cooking. In fact, I wonder how our bodies learned to tolerate cooked food at all?
kissell@flairvax.UUCP (Kevin Kissell) (01/10/84)
Here's an interesting twist to the lactose tolerance/intolerance issue.
One of my Chinese colleagues has pointed out that while he and most
of the Chinese he knows who grew up in Asia cannot drink milk, a larger
number of Americans born here of Chinese parents have no such problem.
One might hypothesize that, rather than being genetic, a lactose intolerance
is something that develops after a certain age, *unless* one continues
to drink milk. Comments?
Kevin D. Kissell
Fairchild Research Center
Advanced Processor Development
uucp:{decvax allegra}!decwrl!flairvax!kissellgam@tektronix.UUCP (Gregory Muth) (01/10/84)
I think that flairvax!kissel's assertion that lactose tolerance
is something we grow out of probably has a lot of truth in it. Both
of my parents, and my grandparents suffer gastric distress when they
drink milk, yet I, who have always drank milk, have no problems at
all.
I wonder if this could be related to the amount of acidophilous
bacteria in the intestinal tract of these individuals. I remember
reading something to the effect that the body itself cannot use
lactose, but acidophilous, which incidentally is the culture used in
producing yogurt, thrives on it; in fact lactose is the only carbohy-
drate that this bacteria consumes.
So perhaps, once someone has stopped consuming foods containing
lactose, the acidophilous disappears, and when these indiviuals later
try to ingest a lactose rich product, there is nothing to digest it
for them..?
Greg Muth
tektronix!gammichaelk@azure.UUCP (Michael Kersenbrock) (01/10/84)
About ten years ago, "sweet acidophilous" was developed at N.C. State Univ., and became availiable in milk at the store. Safeway still sells Acidophilous milk (sorta pinkish cartons). This milk is reputed to be drinkable by SOME people who normally can't drink milk. Plain acidophilous is unpleasant in flavor, this "sweet" version is undetectable in the milk (albeit in small quantities), and I understand is recommended after being anti-bioticized to replace the natural acidophilous that might have be done away with. My mother has a problem drinking milk, I don't. Mike Kersenbrock Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products Aloha, Oregon
plw@druca.UUCP (Wegner) (01/12/84)
I found out at the beginning of '83 that my daughter, then age 10, had an intolerance of lactose. The problem was that it took me 6 years to find this out. When her stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting began, I took her to the DR. He said it was a nervous stomach, not to worry, it is somewhat normal, and she will outgrow it. She loves any milk product. Always has. A package of cheese and crackers were chosen over a candy bar (At age 2 and up). She was the one who got me to like yogurt. At dinner she would pour herself a large glass of milk. Being a parent I wouldn't discourage her of any milk product. Her "attacks" would begin in the evenings. By that late evening we are still in the bathroom with dry heaves. Her pain would be very severe. It would take a full 24 hours to get her system back to normal. As her "attacks" would get worse, I would call the DR., he would say that her nervous stomach would calm down, and he would hang up. Her intolerance would only pop up now and then. Between the ages of 4-9, we would have one bad night in 6 months. (She would have light ones here and there.) After age 9 it was getting worse, and the DR. would not do anything. Kept insisting that it was a nervous stomach. I changed DR.'s after a bad week-end. The "attacks" weren't just lasting a night, it was the whole week-end. Went to another DR. that Monday morning. Ordered some test and found the problem. Her only problems then were the restrictions off of dairy products (Remember, she loves these). We have found an answer to that even. Many health food and drug stores have lactose breakdowns. You can get it in pill or liquid form to pour directly in the milk. Caution about the liquid, it makes the milk tastes sweet, almost too sweet, and it tends to spoil the milk by the second day. We like the pill form better. Shop around because the prices vary. Milk-gest seems to be the least expensive, and is taken after meals. Her nervous stomach has calmed down also. According to the DR. she would build up her acid AFTER her stomach cramps begun. Mentally, she caused it because of being afraid of her "All night attacks". It has been a year now, and she has suffered once. Pat Wegner druca!plw