TOPIC: Lactose Tolerance is Actually a Genetic Mutation

[font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]This was my first newletter back in 2004, but works well as a post and topic of interest.

Lactose Tolerance Is Actually a Genetic Mutation

[/font]There are many people who are lactose intolerance in the world; in fact did you know the majority of the world’s population is lactose (milk sugar) intolerant.  As our population in the United States becomes increasing diverse this fact will become more apparent. The new world immigrants were primarily decedents of dairy herding Northern Europeans, they had to digest dairy or starve. Genetic mutations after many generations evolved in order to tolerate lactose which continues today in those populations. Other groups of populations living in areas where vegetation was plenty had no need to develop lactose tolerance.


Prevalence of Lactose Intolerance Among Various Populations:
Ethnic/Geographic        % of Lactose Intolerant
Asian                         90-100%
Black Africans             90-95%
Eskimos                      80-90%
Native Americans        80%
N. American Asian       80%
Mid Eastern                 80%
Black Americans          75%
South Americans         65%
Mediterranean            60-75%
East Indian                 55-60%
Hispanic                      60-70%
French                         30%
N.Amerian Caucasian   20%
Northern European        7%
So what does this have to do with PMS and PMDD. Those women in the US who avoid dairy due to lactose intolerance are at risk of extremely low intakes of calcium and vitamin D. Studies show if you are deficient in calcium as well as vitamin D your probabilities of exasperating PMS increases. If you happen to have grown up in the US but are of a non-Caucasian/N. European descent, you may be suffering from lactose intolerance without knowing that your genetics never intended for your main calcium source to be dairy. As you age, lactose intolerance increases due to the decreasing production of lactase in your intestines. We were not designed to consume lactose our entire life.  As children we are educated to drink plenty of milk for strong bones; however the need for calcium and vitamin D doesn’t stop once your bones stop growing. What most people are unaware of is that our bone tissue is very active our entire life.
 
Lactose intolerance symptoms:
Stomach aches
Lots of gas and flatulence
Abdomen puffy
Diarrhea
Bad breath 
Does this mean you have to give up dairy completely? No not necessarily. Most people who are intolerant can tolerate some lactose in small amounts with other foods.  Cheese and yogurts are lower in lactose than milk. Lactase treated milk is available at the dairy section in your grocer. But soy milk has come a long way in taste and fortification.


Milk alternatives:
Calcium fortified orange juice
Calcium fortified soy milk,
Calcium fortified Rice milk
Tofu
Kale
Broccoli,
Collards,
Chinese greens
Okra
Beans, all kinds
Hummus
Calcium supplements


Most allergy doctors can test for lactose intolerance, but if you have it, you probably know already. Women with milk allergies are usually allergic to the casein protein in milk product so should definitely avoid all dairy and be very careful to read all product labels that may contain milk isolates.


For other questions regarding lactose intolerance, please contact the Cycle Diet Dietitian.

Debra, just wanted to let you know that I think the Cycle Diet support board here has solved another non-PMS/PMDD related problem at my house. My 8 year old daughter has been complaining of frequent stomachaches for quite awhile now. It got to the point recently that I decided we really needed to do something about it. Well, with my newfound nutritional intelligence, I decided that we could try eliminating something from her diet. So I figured the natural first choice would be dairy. She's been mostly dairy-free for a week now, and I've heard her complain of a tummy ache only once. It may have actually been carsickness that time, too.

This is really great news for her, and I've only heard minimal grumbling about not being able to eat certain things. Thankfully she likes soy milk, and I bought some special no-lactose ice cream for her, too. I am once again very much amazed how what we eat affects our health. This shouldn't be rocket science, because here in America we are barraged with "healthy eating" messages, and yet it never really sank in until I've seen the power of it in my own life.

Excellent news,

Yes, it's amazing how different foods affects us and.... yep, we're a product of our genetics. Keep an eye on how she handles other foods as well....it's not unusual for some kids who are lactose intolerant to actually be sensitive to other foods due to enzyme production or lack there of.

You might also ask your in-laws if they have any digestive problems in the family tree, you never know until you inquire about the other side of the family.

Actually, Debra, my husband's grandmother had celiac disease, and I'm pretty sure his father has it, too. So the thought has crossed my mind that either of my girls could be next in line. Unfortunately, his family has quite a tendency towards diabetes, so that's another thing we need to be watching out for. My husband is Type 2 and has pretty much been in denial about it for 12 years now, since he was first diagnosed. I'm hoping that my positive dietary and exercise changes will encourage him to take charge of his health. (I've learned that lecturing gets me nowhere with this guy.) Oh, and his mother and her sister both have rheumatoid arthritis. So clearly I've got to give these kids the best possible nutritional head start I can!

By the way, Debra, can you make some good choices there in Iowa today and give the rest of us some good candidates to work with? Thanks!!!

 

Oh My Crystal....yes, you better keep an eye on your daughters and your husband!

If you read through Nicole's...aka -Happy4dolphins, posts you'll see she too was diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis and her mother was just diagnosed after 30 years of suffering from Celiac disease. Luckily we caught her gluten sensitivity early through Enterolab and she is has been on the gluten-free and light dairy or even dairy free diet for the past year and doing exceedingly well. Her kids are also gluten-free so as not to interfere with their development.

If your girls are ever diagnosed with ADHD or ADD you'll want to get them immediately on the gluten-free and dairy-free diet ASAP.

You may also consider getting them tested through www.enterolab.com I highly recommend them on the gluten stool and genetic testing. Arming yourself with as much information about how gluten affects brain development and the body is very important. Gluten can cause so many problems for anyone with the predisposition and it sounds like your daughter could be expressing it already.

Don't worry, I'm caucusing for Hillary tonight...hope you're alright with that. Yes, I've turned into a Dem from being an Independent after 25 years.

 

Very interesting stuff, and I will absolutely read more about it in light of my kids possible predisposition. I betcha my husband has celiac disease too...he is ADD as well. I'll have to talk to him about that.

As for as politics goes, I would be fine with Hillary, Obama or Edwards. I'd love to see a woman become president, I'd love to see an African-American become president, and I really like some of the things Edwards has to say. (I'm still an independent voter, with strong democratic tendencies.)

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