Lactose Intolerance

Animal (De)liberation: Should the Consumption of Animal Products Be Banned?

“…With regard to the drinking of milk, there is controversy on the issue whether human bodies are well-adapted to drinking the milk from other animals. Around four billion people are, to various degrees, 'lactose-intolerant' (Campbell and Matthews 2014), a term that has been claimed to spring from a 'Western bias' as such 'intolerance' is not an aberration given that many human beings lose the enzyme to digest milk during their childhood (Norris and Messina 2011, 43). However, the fact that many people's bodies tolerate drinking milk from other animals does not make it a logical necessity that we ought to do so.…”

Lactose tolerance and intolerance in Malaysians

“…44 Low LPH activity in the small intestine is the primary cause of lactose intolerance. 46,47 Individuals who are "lactose intolerant" do not have sufficient LPH to hydrolyse the lactose they consume, or might otherwise consume. When these subjects ingest lactose, it enters the colon unchanged, to become a substrate for fermentation by bacteria.…”

“…The predominant symptoms of severe lactose intolerance induced by the presence of large amounts of lactose in the colon are as listed in Table 1: diarrhea, borborygmi, flatus, gut pain and distension, and cramping. 46,47,63,64 There are also a range of other less frequent symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, headaches and light headedness, loss of concentration, difficulty with short term memory, severe tiredness, muscle and joint pain, various allergies, heart arrhythmia, mouth ulcers, sort throat, increase frequency of micturition, and even constipation. 46,65,66 The osmotic load of lactose in severely lactose intolerant subjects causes retention of fluid and electrolytes until osmotic equilibrium is attained in the distal intestinal tract.…”

“…46,47,63,64 There are also a range of other less frequent symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, headaches and light headedness, loss of concentration, difficulty with short term memory, severe tiredness, muscle and joint pain, various allergies, heart arrhythmia, mouth ulcers, sort throat, increase frequency of micturition, and even constipation. 46,65,66 The osmotic load of lactose in severely lactose intolerant subjects causes retention of fluid and electrolytes until osmotic equilibrium is attained in the distal intestinal tract. 67,68 This will cause its dilatation, and induce an accelerated transit of gut contents into the colon that will further reduce the hydrolysis of lactose as the contact time between lactose and any residual LPH enzymatic activity is decreased.…”