Lactose has a Beta Bond- Humans ( recently as in about 10,000 years ago) had to develop the enzymes (lactase) to break down lactose. Approximately 1/2 the world still does not have the enzyme, i.e Lactose Intolerance aka Hypolactasia
Secondary hypolactasia can occur in children with celiacs disease or cow's milk protein intolerance or infectious diarrheas... A genetic condition ( as opposed to hypolactasia where your body just doesn't have high lactase activity not necessarily genetic in cause) affecting the lactase enzyme is very rare and called congenital lactase deficiency.
Percentage affected by Lactose Intolerance in Healthy Populations:
- Approx. 5-20 % of North American Whites
- Approx. 70-75 % of North American Blacks
- Only 3 % of Danish
- Approx. 99 % of Nigerians (Yoruba)
- Approx. 95 % of Filipinos
- Approx. 97 % Thai
1 comments:
I'm lactose intolerant... Big time.
Isn't it true that around the age of 12, we stop producting the Lactase Enzyme that we needed to get nutrients from our Mother's milk? I know that we are not meant to consume dairy products (as humans)...
But we started to when the Agricultural Revolution kicked off (more like an Evolution... But whatever. Haha.) As food foragers, we primarily lived off of plant-based foods and were constantly moving from place to place and as the Agricultural Rev. came into full-swing the farmer's began to use all parts of their crops and animals... I do know that in European Countries, people are less likely to be Lactose Intolerant than in the America's, because their ancestors lived in areas where the dairy farming was in full-swing, thus allowing them to pass on gene-mutations to their offspring for the lactase enzyme.
Very interesting! Thanks for posting! I think everyone's just been SO busy with the school year kicking off! No worries, I love your posts on your studies and I know that plenty of others do too! Do whatever you want, girlie! It's your fabulous blog! :)
Off to study! Enjoy your Saturday!
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