Sep01
Got Milk? You've Probably Got Gas, Cramps, and Diarrhea Too
Posted at 04:52 PM | Permalink
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Comments (27)
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According to the article, titled "Sixty Percent of Adults Can't Digest Milk,"
"[P]eople who are lactose intolerant can't digest the main sugar—lactose—found in milk. In normal humans, the enzyme that does so—lactase—stops being produced when the person is between two and five years old. The undigested sugars end up in the colon, where they begin to ferment, producing gas that can cause cramping, bloating, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea."
In other words, Gouda is no good for you and Swiss is a digestive miss.
The article continues,
"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."
It's time for milk-drinking "weirdos" to get off the can and discover the delicious world of dairy alternatives. They are better than cheddar and nicer than ice cream—for human health and for cows and their calves.
Posted by Karin Bennett
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Comments
On a worldwide basis, 60% of people are lactose intolerant. Europeans and Americans are a different story. Only 12% of Americans are lactose intolerant. Europe falls in around 1-20% of people are lactose intolerant (Varies by country.) Most of the lactose intolerant people are in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Not in the U.S. of A.
Posted by: Edward | September 1, 2009 05:29 PM
I love soymilk!!!! Delicious!!!
Posted by: Kara | September 1, 2009 05:29 PM
Mother's milk [human or non-human] is for her baby, no one else.
Unfortunately, the omnivores in my life won't believe me--or anyone else--when this is pointed out to them.
Just as a side note, it's very interesting how significantly my health improved when I gave up milk products. The same for my mother [though she is not a vegan]. She spent years trying to figure out what her problem was, only to find out that she was indeed lactose intolerant.
Posted by: Moriah | September 1, 2009 06:05 PM
Oh man, kudos beyond all words for creating and publishing this article. I say: Go Vegan, EVERYONE!!!!!! ( :
Posted by: Kathryn White | September 1, 2009 06:25 PM
There is a reason why lactase stops being produced!!!!!!
It's common sense....if you were meant to drink milk you wouldn't have been weaned from your mother.
Posted by: Tamra | September 1, 2009 07:00 PM
Soymilk is indisputably savory, cruelty-free and ecologically friendly.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | September 1, 2009 08:27 PM
This is great scientific news for all of us,Karin.
Thank you for letting us all know. I always usd to have cramps in my stomach after a glass of milk and used to think it was my physical deficiency in not being able to digest it!!
Thanks again..to remove a 40 years old misconception !
Posted by: Sunjay Somani | September 1, 2009 10:42 PM
Hello, have you read this article. If you are of northern european ancestry than you have a good chance of being lactose persistent. People in Sweden show this trait because in the northern latitudes you would get less sunlight and need the extra vitamin d in dairy. Micro evolution at work, go figure.
Posted by: Liz | September 2, 2009 12:28 AM
depends on your ethnicity, only a few percent of caucasians are intolerent, but asians for instance are mostly intolerant. As always statistics are how you present them.
Posted by: rojo | September 2, 2009 04:55 AM
It also causes constipation amd painful menstrual cramps. I've learn that the hard way years ago when I used consume cruel dairy.
Posted by: Kelly | September 2, 2009 07:08 AM
i love peta and i love what they stand for, i support them in everything in they do but whats just upset me is the fact they have put milk drinking 'wierdos' up there, i drink milk but only in my teas i dont have glass fulls, its the only thing i drink i hate pop and water, but i dont think myself a 'wierdo' i think thats a bit harsh, yeah if i tried soya i'd probably convert but to be called a wierdo is just not on.
Posted by: emma | September 2, 2009 10:00 AM
I'm one of the 12%. I do occaisonally eat cheese but I cannot handle milk or ice cream...on top of the lactose intolerance milk and ice cream causes a severe allergic reaction.
Posted by: Rev. Meg Schramm | September 2, 2009 10:48 AM
This makes perfect sense and is incredibly interesting. Thanks, PETA, for bringing realization to more people. It reminds me of the first time, when I was about nine years old, that I realized that cows do not produce milk all the time and that they must go through pregnancy to make it. It's something that is so obvious, but just ignored by the ignorant.
Posted by: Megan | September 2, 2009 10:51 AM
rojo, a few percent of caucasians are intolerant as you say because they insist on drinking milk!!!! over time their bodies keep producing lactase for longer periods in response to continually shoving another mammal's milk into their bodies......
other ethnicities are a bit smarter than caucasians in this regard (that is why they remain intolerant (over time) as caucasians SHOULD have....)
Posted by: Tamra | September 2, 2009 11:37 AM
Love you karin!! And the author is spot on!! Thank-you, couldn't of summed it up any better!!
Posted by: Carla | September 2, 2009 12:49 PM
Tamra, the ability to produce lactase isn't a gauge of intelligence. One has nothing to do with the other. the fact that you would put an asinine statement like that into print for all to see, would put your intelligence into question.
Posted by: Tom | September 2, 2009 04:37 PM
nice study. but i love milk and will keep drinking it. i have no problems. sorry if this makes you mad that i wont change but its my life not yours. "not to be mean or anything but its true".
Posted by: jesse | September 2, 2009 06:40 PM
'Skinny Bitch' gives THE best information about milk!
I have had so many people who insist on telling me "humans NEED cows milk" read thoes chapters and they instantly change their views.
Its so sad that we live in America- where the billion dollar milk industry can get away with telling fellow Americans that if you dont drink the milk of a cow your teeth will fall out and your bones will crumble.
Think for yourself and use common sence.
WHY WOULD HUMANS NEEEEED TO DRINK COWS MILK WHEN WE HAVE BREAST MILK (AKA MILK FROM OUR OWN SPECIES?) WE DONT- theres a reason why all mamles are weened from milk at a young age...WE DONT NEED IT!
I became a vegan and instantly stopped popping pills for anxiety..it went away, not to mention i lost a lot of weight!--
If you drink milk you are apart of the suffering for female cows- not to mention you add to the veal industry
Its so easy now a days to make the change. You can have soy ice cream, soy cheese, anything and everything!
GO VEGAN! it was the best thing i ever did!
Posted by: Layla | September 3, 2009 12:12 AM
The countries that consume the most dairy also have the most osteoporosis, and vice-versa. Dairy is a high-protein, acidic food which causes calcium resorption from the bones in order to maintain our blood pH.
Even within one country, those that minimize or avoid dairy consumption have the strongest bones:
"Harvard University's landmark Nurses Health Study, which followed 78,000 women over a 12-year period, found that the women who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods broke more bones than those who rarely drank milk."
Posted by: Mike Quinoa | September 3, 2009 12:26 PM
Tom, Did you actually read my whole post before you were just so quick to hand out a put-down (bravo for you).
You are trying to twist my words when I think the average person (of intelligence) understood where I was going with that.
Let-me-rephrase-for-T-o-m:
In regards to drinking milk, Asians are a bit smarter (my opinion) because they don't drink another mammal's milk in copious amounts as Caucasians do (fact). The result from this is that Asians largely remain lactose intolerant over time because lactase production subsides (fact). Because Caucasians insist on drinking milk excessively (or at all for that matter) lactase production persists (fact).
Now, do you disagree with my opinion or with the facts I present? Go ahead tough guy.
Posted by: Tamra | September 4, 2009 12:03 AM
Right on Layla! I love that book and it has tons of good info in it. I can't stand it when people say we need milk (they're like robots.....)
I haven't made the switch yet to vegan but I only drink soy milk (I can't even fathom drinking cow's milk).
Posted by: Tamra | September 4, 2009 12:07 AM
Tamra, Asians do better in academics because of the education system set up in Asian nations. Their school day is longer and they don't get 3 months off in the summer. It has nothing to do with what they do or don't consume. Secondly, Caucasians aren't the only consumers of large amounts of milk. Although there are larger incidents of lactose intolerance in other ethnicities, Those that can drink milk also drink it in "copious" amounts. so your statement is still asinine.
Posted by: Tom | September 4, 2009 10:27 AM
Tom, What part of "in regards to drinking milk" do you not understand???
I did NOT say that Caucasians were the only consumers of large amounts of milk. I said that they have lower rates of lactose intolerance than Asians.
The fact that Caucasians have lower rates of lactose intolerance has to do with drinking milk and lactase persistence and NOT (I repeat, NOT) race.
If you don't get that, I don't know what else to tell you......
Posted by: Tamra | September 4, 2009 05:32 PM
For everyone that wanted to read too much into my original post, allow me to clarify.....
I did not mean that Asians are smarter in academics or IQ than Caucasians because they don't drink (as much) milk. I am not saying that.
I believe that people who choose NOT to drink milk are making a smarter decision than people that continue to do so. It just so happens in the above case that we were talking about Caucasians and Asians. So IN THAT REGARD, yes, the majority of Asians are smarter than the majority of Caucasians (my opinion).
Posted by: Tamra | September 4, 2009 08:16 PM
these guys say it's genetically determined, so race serves as a initial indicator. But don't worry there is nothing wrong with being intolerant(to lactose).
Posted by: rojo | September 7, 2009 06:19 PM
Gave up milk 10 days ago. Haven't felt this good in a long time!
Posted by: Steve | September 9, 2009 01:26 PM
Who said it's genetically determined?
The USA today article said it was a genetic adaptation (due to drinking milk into adulthood) and never used the word determination. Two very different concepts.
Posted by: Tamra | September 12, 2009 01:33 PM