#in sweden youre not allowed to even call lactose free milk 'milk'. they have to call it laktosfri mjölkdryck

[archaeolitikum]

generally i think the eu taking precautions with the kind of food companies can sell, the way they market their products etc is good and whatnot but one thing that really makes me roll my eyes is the way theyve been trying to make it so meat free and dairy free products cant use the same names like "milk" or "sausage" because it would be "confusing to consumers and costumers". full offence but if you see a carton of something that clearly says OAT MILK on it but you ignore the oat part and go grab the thing in a full blown milk frenzy, black out, and wake up at home only to realise the oat milk is in fact made from oats and not from a cow then i think thats on you buddy. costumers and consumers have to have some personal responsibility while buying shit sorry its not that difficult.

its extra annoying because the eu actively want to meet our goals about the climate and that includes encouraging people to eat more food that has a lesser impact on the environment and yet they make it extra difficult for the companies to just sell normal food made from plants by forcing them to come up with weird stupid terms instead of just using the language that we are already using for it. everyone KNOWS oat milk isnt actually milk but calling it oat beverage or oat liquid is ridiculous. making plant based food more alien by changing the language around it probably wont help anyone. i dont think calling a burger made from peas "plantbased/vegan/pea/soy burger" is confusing anyone. and if allergy is a concern, allergic people already fucking know to read the ingredients! allergens (like soy!!!) are always underlined anyway and allergics already knooooow to check it you sillies.

if i can check the ingredients of something to make sure i can and want to eat it then i dont think its impossible for everyone else to realise oat milk is actually not real milk and the milk part is just a descriptor for the products general purpose you know

[foodreceipe]

How Cheese, Wheat and Alcohol Shaped Human Evolution

Over time, diet causes dramatic changes to our anatomy, immune systems, and maybe even skin color.

Smithsonian Magazine - Brian Handwerk

Human evolution is ongoing, and what we eat is a crucial part of the puzzle.

You aren’t what you eat, exactly. But over many generations, what we eat does shape our evolutionary path. “Diet,” says anthropologist John Hawks, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “has been a fundamental story throughout our evolutionary history. Over the last million years there have been changes in human anatomy, teeth and the skull, that we think are probably related to changes in diet.”

As our evolution continues, the crucial role of diet hasn’t gone away. Genetic studies show that humans are still evolving, with evidence of natural selection pressures on genes impacting everything from Alzheimer's disease to skin color to menstruation age. And what we eat today will influence the direction we will take tomorrow.

Got Milk?

When mammals are young, they produce an enzyme called lactase to help digest the sugary lactose found in their mothers’ milk. But once most mammals come of age, milk disappears from the menu. That means enzymes to digest it are no longer needed, so adult mammals typically stop producing them.

Thanks to recent evolution, however, some humans defy this trend. 

Around two-thirds of adult humans are lactose intolerant or have reduced lactose tolerance after infancy. But tolerance varies dramatically depending on geography. Among some East Asian communities, intolerance can reach 90 percent; people of West African, Arab, Greek, Jewish and Italian descent are also especially prone to lactose intolerance.  

Northern Europeans, on the other hand, seem to love their lactose—95 percent of them are tolerant, meaning they continue to produce lactase as adults. And those numbers are increasing. “In at least different five cases, populations have tweaked the gene responsible for digesting that sugar so that it remains active in adults,” Hawks says, noting it is most common among peoples in Europe, the Middle East and East Africa.     

Ancient DNA shows how recent this adult lactose toleranceis, in evolutionary terms. Twenty-thousand years ago, it was non-existent. As of 2018, about one-third of all adults have tolerance.

That lightning-fast evolutionary change suggests that direct milk consumption must have provided a serious survival advantage over peoples who had to ferment dairy into yogurt or cheese. During fermentation, bacteria break down milk sugars including lactase, turning them into acids and easing digestion for those with lactose intolerance. Gone with those sugars, however, is a good chunk of the food's caloric content.

Hawks explains why being able to digest milk would have been such a boon in the past: “You're in a nutrition limited environment, except you have cattle, or sheep, or goats, or camels, and that gives you access to a high energy food that infants can digest but adults can't,” he says. “What it does is allow people to get 30 percent more calories out of milk, and you don't have the digestive issues that come from milk consumption.”  

A recent genetic study found that adult lactose tolerance was less common in Roman Britain than today, meaning its evolution has continued throughout Europe's recorded history. 

 These days, many humans have access to plentiful alternative foods as well as lactose-free milk or lactase pills that help them digest regular dairy. In other words, we can circumvent some impacts of natural selection. That means traits like lactose tolerance might not have the same direct impacts on survival or reproduction that they once did—at least in some parts of the world.

“As far as we know, it makes no difference to your survival and reproduction in Sweden if you can digest milk or not. If you're eating out of a supermarket (your dairy tolerance doesn’t affect your survival). But it still makes a difference in East Africa,” Hawks says.

Wheat, Starch and Alcohol

These days, it isn’t uncommon to find an entire grocery store aisle devoted to gluten-free cookies, bread and crackers. Yet trouble digesting gluten—the main protein found in wheat—is another relatively recent snag in human evolution. Humans didn't start storing and eating grains regularly until around 20,000 years ago, and wheat domestication didn't begin in earnest until about 10,000 years ago.Since wheat and rye became a staple of human diets, however, we've have had a relatively high frequency of celiac disease. “You look at this and say how did it happen?” asks Hawks. “That's something that natural selection shouldn't have done.”

The answer lies in our immune response. A system of genes known as the human leukocyte antigens take part in the fight against disease, and frequently produce new variations to battle ever-changing infections. Unfortunately, for individuals with celiac disease, this system mistakes the human digestive system for a disease and attacks the lining of the gut.  Yet despite the obvious drawbacks of celiac disease, ongoing evolution doesn't seem to be making it less frequent. The genetic variants behind celiac disease seem to be just as common now as they've been since humans began eating wheat. 

“This is a case where a selection that is probably about disease and parasites has a side effect that produces celiac disease in a small fraction of people. That's a trade-off that recent evolution has left us and it wasn't an adaptation to diet—it was an adaptation in spite of diet,” Hawks says. Unintended trade-offs are common in evolution. For example, the genetic mutation to red blood cells that helps humans survive malaria can also produce the deadly sickle cell disease.  

Other examples of our continuing evolution through diet are intriguing but uncertain. For instance, Amylase is an enzyme that helps saliva digest starch. Historically, agricultural peoples from West Eurasia and Mesoamerica have more copies of the associated gene. Were they selected to digest starches better? “That makes a compelling story and it may be true. But biology is complicated and it's not totally clear what's at work or how important it is,” Hawks says.  

More than one-third of East Asians—Japanese, Chinese and Koreans—have a flushing reaction when they metabolize alcohol, because the process creates an excess of toxic acetaldehyde enzymes. There's strong genetic evidence that this was selected recently, during the last 20,000 years, Hawks notes.

Because its appearance in the genome may roughly coincide with rice domestication 10,000 years ago, some researchers suggest that it stopped people from over indulging in rice wine. The timelines aren't precisely determined, however, for either the mutation or rice domestication. It has also been suggested that acetaldehyde offered protection from parasites that were unable to stomach the toxin. 

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-cheese-wheat-and-alcohol-shaped-human-evolution

[foodhealthsolutions]

Everything You Need To Know About Lactose Intolerance

Do you think you are intolerant to lactose? If you do, you are not alone. In fact, there are more people who experience this digestive disorder than those who do not. It is said that around 70% of the world’s population are experiencing intolerance to lactose. That is around 5 billion people! Anyway, what exactly is lactose intolerance? What are the symptoms? The treatment? What do food manufacturers do to help lactose-intolerant individuals?

In this article, we’ll discuss all of them.

Keep reading.

What is lactose intolerance?

Lactose is composed of two simple sugars glucose and galactose

Carbohydates is one of the 3 basic macronutrients that we need daily—the other being fats and proteins. Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy that fuel our bodies. In foods, these carbohydrates come in 2 main forms. First are simple carbohydrates. They are so called because they are the most basic forms. Second are complex carbohydrates such as starches and fibers, they are made of many simple sugars strung together.

The simple carbohydrates are categorized into two forms based on chemical structure: monosaccharides and disaccharides. Disaccharides are sugars composed of two molecules of simple sugars. A good example of this is lactose, the milk sugar composed of glucose and galactose. Obviously, dairy products are rich in lactose. Cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, and milk are rich in it. Although out of all these, milk contain the most amount with 13 grams of lactose in 1 cup serving.

The problem is that once inside our body, this milk sugar needs to be broken down and digested in the gut. The enzyme lactase is responsible for this part. Lactase is produced by cells in the small intestine, in the enterocytes. These are cells that help us absorb the nutrients from the food we eat.

The lactase enzyme catalyzes the break down of lactose into simple sugars, glucose and galactose. If the bond between glucose and galactose is cut, then you are fine and good to go. But if the lactose is not broken down, water goes into your intestine via osmosis. As a result, you will feel bloated and experience diarrhea. And what’s more, as lactose travels from your gut to the colon, the natural bacteria that are able to digest lactose will feast on it, producing mix gases of carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen. This is what lactose intolerance is.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance

The following are the common symptoms of lactose intolerance:

Bloating

Gas

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Nausea

Abdominal cramps

Feeling sick

These symptoms typically occur in as early as 30 minutes after consuming dairy product. How bad one may experience these will depend on the amount of lactose consumed, and the degree of intolerance to lactose. Some people may consume low-lactose dairy products, while some may experience these symptoms regardless of the amount of lactose consumed.

Confused between milk allergy and lactose intolerance? As you already know, lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose due to lack of lactase enzyme to break it down. While milk allergy, on the other hand, is the abnormal response of the immune system after consuming milk.

One of the main differences between them is that the symptoms of lactose intolerance are less severe. When one has milk allergy, he/she may also experience skin rash and swelling of the lip. And while lactose intolerance generally affects adults, milk allergy is more common in children and infants. Refer to FoodAllergy.org for more regarding this.

You might also like: The Mold Penicillium Roqueforti And Blue Cheese

This syndrome is more common in adults

Remember when you were young? As young mammals, infants can easily digest lactose with ease. This is because they are born with lactase in their intestine. So it is very straightforward as to why they only drink milk. But the production of lactase enzyme decreases with age. And why is that?

The reason is simple. Most babies start eating solid food by the time they reach 6 months old. Their parent would give them healthy carbohydrates such as in the form of applesauce, sweet potato, and corn. And as diet starts involving foods that provide glucose and other carbohydrates, the need for lactase is reduced. This eventually results in gene alteration for lactase—less need for production of the enzyme. The production of lactase significantly goes down at around 3 to 5 years of age.

Lactase persistence are prevalent among Caucasians

But it is not the case for all of us. Remember that 70% of the global population are experiencing lactose intolerance? What about the other 25%? The majority of the 25% that exhibit lactase persistence (ability to produce lactase well into adulthood) are Caucasians, mainly of those are with European ancestry. In fact, according to the World Population Review, 7 of the top 10 countries where cases of lactose intolerance are very low are in Europe. These countries are Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium. The other 3 are New Zealand, Niger, and Cyprus. While lactose intolerance are more prevalent in countries in Asia and Africa.

Why are these people exhibiting lactase persistence? What is so especially about them? Europeans are historically known for raising and domesticating cows and other animals for dairy products like milk and cheese. In fact, dairy farming development happened mostly in East Europe by the sixth millennium BC. And since Europe experiences a temperament climate all year-round, dairy farming could be maintained, and milk and other dairy products could be stored safely for long. This made dairy to be a part of their daily diet.

According to studies, about 4000 years ago, a genetic mutation occurred in ancient Europe that allowed the production of lactase enzyme well into adulthood. More like natural selection, right? However, interestingly, a group of scientists had confirmed that early Europeans could not digest lactose 8000 years ago.

No wonder Europeans and people from other dairy producing countries like New Zealand are one of the tallest people in the world.

Managing lactose intolerance

With billions of people experiencing intolerance to lactose, the lactose-free dairy products is a huge industry, to say to the least. Reports suggest that the lactose-free market is the fastest growing segment in the dairy industry. The said segment was valued at USD 12.1 billion in 2020. To no surprise, it is expected to grow at the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the Asia Pacific region.

With that having said, food manufacturers are more driven to provide a wide range of products for consumers who are intolerant to lactose. Most of these products may be fortified with certain nutrients—especially calcium that milk products are naturally rich in. Read the nutrition label before purchasing them.

By taking “lactose-free” or “lactose-reduced” dairy products

You may lactose-free milk or other dairy products low in lactose. The process of manufacturing them is very simple. The enzyme lactase is added in the milk to break down, and turn lactose into simple sugars glucose and galactose. This process also produces products that are sweeter than regular dairy. Today, dairy products including cheese, butter, and yogurt now have their lactose-free counterparts.

Another dairy products you can go for are “lactose-reduced”. These products are those that contain significantly lower amount of lactose. While a glass of milk contains the most amount lactose, Cheese (0.1 g lactose per 30 g of cheddar cheese) and butter (0.03 g per 5 g) are very low in lactose. Aged and ripened products like cheeses are particularly low in lactose. The longer the aging process, the lower the lactose because cheese bacteria break the remaining lactose down.

According to the FDA, to make sure a product is indeed a lactose-free version, carefully read the label, and look for words such as “lactose-reduced or “lactose-free”. However, the agency has no definition of such terms. Because of this, a lactose-free dairy product must be totally free of lactose. While a lactose-reduced dairy product must have a significant amount of reduction in lactose. But manufacturers are encouraged to have label information that is truthful and is not misleading to the consumer.

Opt for dairy-free or non-dairy products

Dairy-free and non-dairy products are not only good for individuals who are intolerant to lactose, but as well as those with milk allergy. Dairy-free products are those without milk products or milk ingredients such as lactose, casein or whey.

But be wary though. This is because up to now, there is no regulatory definition that actually exists for this term. Therefore, the FDA has no existing regulations as to how manufacturers use the term on their product labels. So there is no assurance if what you are buying is indeed dairy-free. However, like already mentioned, the FDA does not allow misleading or false statements or claims on product labels. Read the product information to help you decide.

Common dairy-free products include alternative milk like soy milk, peanut butter, soy cheese, and protein fruit bars.

Non-dairy, on the other hand, has an existing regulatory definition. But this term makes most people confused because the FDA allows the use of milk ingredients such as milk protein casein and whey in non-dairy products. Furthermore, even experts and professionals alike believe that the use of the term, as the FDA regulates, is nonsensical.

But again, read the product label to help you decide. I suggest going for vegan-based dairy alternatives that are fortified with calcium like soy and coconut milk.

By taking lactase supplement

You can still enjoy these dairy delights by taking over-the-counter lactase supplement. This comes in the form of capsule or tablet to help you digest lactose. Such supplement is prepared and purified from certain yeasts such as Aspergillus niger or C. pseudotropicalis. And if you are wondering, it is tummy-friendly and do not cause harm. In fact, according to the FDA, lactase supplement is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) provided that it is used only as aid for digesting lactose.

So that’s about it. Have I missed anything? Or perhaps you might want to add something. Either way, share it by leaving a comment below.

The post Everything You Need To Know About Lactose Intolerance appeared first on The Food Untold.

By: Sandman Title: Everything You Need To Know About Lactose Intolerance Sourced From: thefooduntold.com/blog/health/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lactose-intolerance/ Published Date: Wed, 26 May 2021 02:24:15 +0000

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