Anyone ever reversed lactose intolerance?

[destrekor]

It seems the evolution that occurred a few thousand years ago that made humans keep producing lactase is most common in those of Northern European descent. I guess the whiter you are, the more likely you are able to drink milk.

That's precisely the case. Those of European Caucasian descent are far more likely to have the ability to process lactose well into adulthood. It can still be common though for those with such a gene to slowly lose the ability to tolerate lactose at anything above a small amount.

I think that gene is a mix of two things: European Caucasians have some Neanderthal DNA (up to 3% of the genome), and dairy farming dates back for eternity in the European region. In early times, keeping milk without spoiling was far easier than in other areas where man had settled early on, so that could have something to do with it.

I think the Neanderthal DNA has quite a bit to do with it. I can't recall where I read about it but I do think I remember seeing longer lactase production may have indeed come from the Neanderthal DNA contribution.

 

[destrekor]

I was present once during a pretty interesting talk about lactose tolerance in humans. The gist of it was that human beings are basically alone in the animal world when it comes to consuming milk after adolescence. Most mammals nurse until they can eat solid food, and then they never drink milk again. Even stranger, human beings consume milk from completely different species. What we do with milk on a daily basis (in most societies anyway) is not in line with nature... and lactose intolerance is actually the natural response in the animal world. The fact that most humans can tolerate lactose for as long as they do (sometimes for their whole lives) is a mutation we've developed over time, not the other way around.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

Of course we are the only ones to put milk on cereal or into shakes.... most species have no idea how to do something so awesome.

Also, most animals aren't in the habit of a) seeking out the teats of other species, and b) being OK with the idea of some random animal latching on for a drink.

Also, obviously animals don't even produce milk once they are no longer weaning their offspring.

Now I can't help but think of that scene from Mad Max: Fury Road, of the "cows." We basically put cows--who have just recently dropped some offspring--into slavery to produce milk for us.

I don't think any other animal even got the idea of keeping any animal around to force milk out of, and come up with a way to store it.

I do wonder if any other animal even tried, just because. It wouldn't turn out good for any animals without a good mutation, but a capable animal might try.

 

[OverVolt]

It seems the evolution that occurred a few thousand years ago that made humans keep producing lactase is most common in those of Northern European descent. I guess the whiter you are, the more likely you are able to drink milk.

Yup. I think something close to 90% of east Asians don't have lactase persistence.

 

[destrekor]

And the more asian the worse.

Also the more black.

Those of Spanish descent have a decent shot, due to the European lineage. But considering those of Latino descent also share genetics with the natives in that region, who spread east from the motherland almost assuredly from a different group and not split off after having settled Europe... they have a crap-shoot in this game of lactose tolerance, with mixed odds.

 

[JimKiler]

Hmm. Kraft cheese as in processed American cheese or other "cheese products"? Those generally contain lactose. Are you using more than one slice or anything? I'm curious if they truly say 0g sugar per slice (or whatever the serving size/method).

There could still be other triggers if it is not lactose. Cheese is a curious thing for numerous reasons, and more than the lactose intolerant have to be careful with cheese.


Was this only before you started correcting your gut situation? As in, you can eat all the cheese you want now?

It was about 15 years ago when i tried Kraft cheese. Now i use activia daily with success. I thought cooking cheese is supposed to breakdown the lactose but that never seemed to help me either.

Awesome. I'm in Australia so I'm not sure if they have Yoplait here.

I guess I'll get a pack of some random yogurt, eat it for a couple days, and then drink a cup of milk and see if it does anything? And if it doesn't, I'll try another brand of yogurt and repeat?

If yogurt will replenish the bacteria, would there eventually be a thriving colony of bacteria in the gut reproducing at a rate such that I will no longer require topping up on yogurt each time I take dairy?

If you try some yogurts it could take a week. Everyone I talked to says Activia cleans you out the first week so it may seem like it does not work. I felt the same way when i started eating it.

 

[TheGardener]

I think I'm part Irish.

So basically I can live on milk and beer apparently.

I was in an Irish pub in central Mass. Bartender was complaining to us about an older guy with an Irish accent who he just served. The older guy repeated a couple times that he wanted a glass of mother's milk. Bartender told him he had no idea what he was ordering. Turned out he wanted a Guinness.

 

[It's Not Lupus]

I've tried gradually increasing consumption of dairy products. It doesn't work, and I still get gas or worse.

 

[BoberFett]

Kraft cheese will say 0g lactose and that would still cause me to worship the porcelain god.

I too use yogurt and now eat all the dairy i want. It is hard to be dairy free in America, we love dairy in our foods.

I've found that cheap cheese causes more problem than quality cheese. Without any evidence to back it up, higher quality cheeses are likely aged longer and more of the sugars are consumed. Some types of cheeses may be better or worse than other too for that same reason.

 

[BoberFett]

That's precisely the case. Those of European Caucasian descent are far more likely to have the ability to process lactose well into adulthood. It can still be common though for those with such a gene to slowly lose the ability to tolerate lactose at anything above a small amount.

I think that gene is a mix of two things: European Caucasians have some Neanderthal DNA (up to 3% of the genome), and dairy farming dates back for eternity in the European region. In early times, keeping milk without spoiling was far easier than in other areas where man had settled early on, so that could have something to do with it.

I think the Neanderthal DNA has quite a bit to do with it. I can't recall where I read about it but I do think I remember seeing longer lactase production may have indeed come from the Neanderthal DNA contribution.

I don't know about genetics, but I've read that lactose intolerance often happens in conjunction with illness. I'm pretty sure that's what happened to me. A couple of years ago I got the flu (or something) pretty badly and after a week out of work it took me a good month to kick it completely. Nasty stuff in my chest and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. After I had kicked the chest stuff, I noticed that it seemed that I was still spending more time than normal on the can. It took a little while for me to put 2 and 2 together, but I finally realized the dairy connection. After a bit of experimentation and reading, I confirmed that it was indeed lactose intolerance, and it seems that it's quite common to get an illness that damages your ability to produce lactase.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Yoplait uses Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and sometimes Lactobacillus acidophilus. Just look for yogurts with those in it. Do note, that every yogurt blends the microbes with different ratios, so just because it has a certain microbe, doesn't mean that it will work the same for you.

I would probably give each yogurt at least a few weeks before switching.

Not sure about the labeling requirements in Australia, but look for anything that indicates the yogurt contains live cultures. Some yogurts are pasteurized before packaging, killing the bacteria that you're seeking.

 

[fralexandr]

there are also different strains of the same species, so that could play some part in it too.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...ey-yogurt-maker-whered-you-get-those-microbes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic#Lactose_intolerance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillales#Probiotics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactic_acid_fermentation
various pickled vegetables use lactic acid fermentation as well, so you could start out eating some of those if your lactose intolerance is really bad, though there's less of a guarantee the microbe can also/still produce lactase.
apparently sour beers/lambics/berliner weisses use lactic acid fermentation (note: potentially helpful if it has sediment/microbial cultures left in bottle)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance#Causes
you should be able to reduce diarrhea by taking lactic acid bacteria, but there may still be some symptoms such as gas that won't be completely resolved.

http://www.stevecarper.com/li/list_of_lactose_percentages.htm
a nice list of rough lactose percentages in various foods

"American cheese" seems to have quite a bit of lactose left in it. I checked kraft's site, and the 2% singles have 2g of sugar per 19g (1 slice), putting it at approximately 10.5% lactose. That's ~1/6 as much as a cup of milk (~12g), but on the high side for cheeses. Based on the milk fat, it probably uses ~4 oz of "milk" to make (2.5g per slice vs 5g in 1 serving of 2% milk), so it loses ~2/3 of its lactose from fermentation.

 

[Leyawiin]

It seems the evolution that occurred a few thousand years ago that made humans keep producing lactase is most common in those of Northern European descent. I guess the whiter you are, the more likely you are able to drink milk.

I'm very happy to be a pale skinned caveman mutant. Love me some milk and ice cream.

 

[fralexandr]

ice cream is the worst for me but so tasty T.T. Milkshakes... There was an ice cream place that sold lactose free ice cream. It also sold milkshakes. They didn't sell lactose free milk shakes though.

One of the major downsides of lactose free milk is how sweet it is. Lactose is a disaccharide. When it's broken down by lactase it tastes sweeter since lactose isn't very sweet and it produces 2 sugars, glucose and galactose, which are both sweeter, so use in milkshakes would be acceptable.

image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose#Physical_and_functional_properties

 

[Gibsons]

Were you ever given antibiotics as a child?

Antibiotics are not like Aspirin. They're a lot more like chemotherapy. This is nuclear warfare in your body. Kill everything and hope you survive longer than the infection.

Wat?

Are you saying penicllin is like cancer chemotherapy, like cisplatin etc? No.

 

[fralexandr]

broad spectrum antibiotics can cause problems. Spungo was exaggerating to some extent.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad-spectrum_antibiotic#Risks
"As a side-effect, antibiotics can change the body's normal microbial content by attacking indiscriminately both the pathological and naturally occurring, beneficial or harmless bacteria found in the intestines, lungs and bladder.[4] The destruction of the body's normal bacterial flora provides an opportunity for drug-resistant microorganisms to grow vigorously and can lead to a secondary infection..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microbiota
"The human microbiota is the aggregate of microorganisms, a microbiome that resides on the surface and in deep layers of skin (including in mammary glands),[1] in the saliva and oral mucosa, in the conjunctiva, and in the gastrointestinal tracts... One study indicated they outnumber human cells 10 to 1... Most of the microbes associated with humans appear to be not harmful at all, but rather assist in maintaining processes necessary for a healthy body."

-----
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemotherapy
A lot of the problems from chemotherapy are that its targets aren't narrow enough, yet.
"Traditional chemotherapeutic agents are cytotoxic, that is to say they act by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of most cancer cells. This means that chemotherapy also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances: cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles. This results in the most common side-effects of chemotherapy: myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells, hence also immunosuppression), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract), and alopecia (hair loss)."

 

[Strk]

Wat?

Are you saying penicllin is like cancer chemotherapy, like cisplatin etc? No.

All medicine is chemotherapy. And certain antibiotics can be quite devastating to your normal flora, although penicillin isn't one of them, at least the original version. It was actually quite narrow spectrum and targeted something found only in bacteria, so it didn't kill much and wasn't that toxic to humans.

 

[SP33Demon]

Yoplait uses Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, and sometimes Lactobacillus acidophilus. Just look for yogurts with those in it. Do note, that every yogurt blends the microbes with different ratios, so just because it has a certain microbe, doesn't mean that it will work the same for you.

I would probably give each yogurt at least a few weeks before switching.

Destrekor answered really well. You can't get a permanently stable colony in most cases, since something will eventually happen to you that will disrupt your colony. The best that I ever had was to eat as much yogurt as I could once after a course of antibiotics that I took for another reason. I had really good intestinal health for 6 months and then moderately good for another 3 months. But by the time a year passed, I was forced back on the daily yogurt routine.

Isn't Yoplait loaded with sugar? Fuck that. What about regular Fage greek unflavored?

 

[fralexandr]

Isn't Yoplait loaded with sugar? Fuck that. What about regular Fage greek unflavored?

http://usa.fage.eu/product/fage-total-classic-7-oz
INGREDIENTS
Grade A Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei).

-----
forgot there was a yoplait lactose free
http://www.yoplait.com/products/yoplait-lactose-free-yogurt

 

[OverVolt]

Spungo is always exaggerating

 

[DCal430]

That's precisely the case. Those of European Caucasian descent are far more likely to have the ability to process lactose well into adulthood. It can still be common though for those with such a gene to slowly lose the ability to tolerate lactose at anything above a small amount.

I think that gene is a mix of two things: European Caucasians have some Neanderthal DNA (up to 3% of the genome), and dairy farming dates back for eternity in the European region. In early times, keeping milk without spoiling was far easier than in other areas where man had settled early on, so that could have something to do with it.

I think the Neanderthal DNA has quite a bit to do with it. I can't recall where I read about it but I do think I remember seeing longer lactase production may have indeed come from the Neanderthal DNA contribution.

Neanderthal likely has little to do with it as Asians have highest amount of Neanderthal DNA, not Europeans.

 

[dullard]

Isn't Yoplait loaded with sugar? Fuck that. What about regular Fage greek unflavored?

Yoplait dumped the heavy sugar a few months ago. Humorously, they are now labeled "Original, 25% less sugar". How the fuc& 25% less sugar is "original" is beyond me.

http://www.yoplait.com/products/yoplait-original-style-less-sugar

The sugar isn't a problem for me. If I want to lose weight, I just stop eating yogurt for a couple weeks and spend that time on the toilet.

 

[slag]

My wife was lactose intolerant for a number of years but seems to be fine now. I don't think that is very common though and I don't think it was anything she did. It just happened for some reason.

Same with my father. He said wait until 50 and you can drink milk again. Until then, I just pop a couple lactaid or generic pills and eat/drink dairy products.

 

[destrekor]

Neanderthal likely has little to do with it as Asians have highest amount of Neanderthal DNA, not Europeans.

Actually, upon some research, it's basically everyone but the Africans have some Neanderthal DNA, so... that is still unlikely to be the answer. lol

I think it dates back to a mutation in the Europeans who discovered (how the hell did they discover this? lmao I don't know if I really care to know) that the cows they kept were quite helpful to their survival/nutrition.

 

[Gryz]

I don't think any other animal even got the idea of keeping any animal around to force milk out of, and come up with a way to store it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI0vQ7Q1xZ0

 

[destrekor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI0vQ7Q1xZ0

A tad bit different, no? Ants getting the sugar-water from Aphids is equivalent to mosquitoes sucking blood. Not quite the same as taking the sustenance on which mothers provide their offspring through mammary glands.