Lactose intolerance is an inherited condition as indicated by a recently distributed survey, as well as complied research that has been collected. The survey results had only a small fraction of people who were lactose intolerant, 10%. However, almost 50% of survey takers family members had intolerance toward lactose. This proves several people are not born with the lactose intolerance activated but eventually with age the trait will activate since it has been inherited. Also majority of the survey takers are North American or European and in high school. Ethnicity, culture and age all have a large impact on whether or not the lactase enzyme is being produce, specifically in mammals.
A selective advantage of not producing lactase as an adult is simply saving energy for the body to use elsewhere. Young children need dairy products which contain lactose because it helps their bodies grow by providing healthy nutrients like fats, proteins, vitamins and it also helps make their bones stronger. As children grow older in to young adults their bodies are less inclined to need the large amount of nutrients the dairy products provide. Since the body no longer feels the lactose is a helpful source, the body slowly decreases the amount of lactase enzymes being produced. Typically a young adult can still comfortably have a glass of milk but the body progressively decreases the amount of lactase enzymes being produced. These lactase enzymes are what break down lactose and simple sugars. Once the body can no longer do this, a person will struggle digesting dairy products. This is a selective advantage because it helps the body save energy, instead of wasting it on producing these lactase enzymes. The body does not need lactose anymore so other...
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...ultures. Mostly all other ethnicities had a lactose intolerance or had a family member with lactose intolerance. It would be interesting to see a global survey and compare the results.
Based on the survey conducted in Part A and the evidence collected, lactose intolerance is an inherited trait which has evolved through natural selection. Human bodies and other mammals realized lactose does not have any benefits after a certain age. Mammal’s bodies started to identify lactose as an unhelpful nutrient and started to decrease the amount of lactase enzymes being produced. Eventually mammals bodies began to save energy by producing very few lactase enzymes and using the energy on something more beneficial for the body. This occurred through natural selection because the mammal’s body realized not producing the lactase enzyme and saving energy is a selective advantage.
One of the most primitive actions known is the consumption of lactose, (milk), from the mother after birth. Mammals have an innate predisposition towards this consumption, as it is their main source of energy. Most mammals lose the ability to digest lactose shortly after their birth. The ability to digest lactose is determined by the presence of an enzyme called lactase, which is found in the lining of the small intestine. An enzyme is a small molecule or group of molecules that act as a catalyst (catalyst being defined as a molecule that binds to the original reactant and lowers the amount of energy needed to break apart the original molecule to obtain energy) in breaking apart the lactose molecule. In mammals, the lactase enzyme is present
Lactase is an enzyme found in the digestive system. It is essential to the complete digestion of sugar in whole milk and milk products. Lactase specifically breaks down lactose, a complex sugar. Lactase cannot be absorbed by the body unless it is broken down by lactase into glucose and galactose. According to webMD, “Lacking lactase in their intestines, a person consuming dairy products may experience the symptoms of lactose intolerance…Abdominal cramping, flatulence (gas) and diarrhea can occur when a lactose intolerant person consumes milk products.” ("Lactase Enzyme oral : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD", n.d.) Lactase is not recommended for use in CHILDREN younger than 4 years of age. Safety and effectiveness in this age group have not been confirmed. (Kluwer, 2014)
There is a strong family genetic predisposition for this condition, specifically with the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes DR3, DQ2 and DQ8. The Caucasian population and people of European descent experience celiac disease. Moreover, women seem to have a higher prevalence than males for this illness. Incidence within the general population is 1 in 3,000 citizens. People from Mediterranean and African ancestries, Jews, and Asian cultures rarely suffer from this disease. Children can also be affected. Patients who suffer from celiac disease may also experience additional autoimmune diseases like arthritis, systemic lupus, sojourn syndrome, down syndrome, intestinal cancer, lactose intolerance, type I diabetes, intestinal insuffici...
To begin, I found the lactose intolerance part of the talk to be very interesting. I found out for the first time ever that only 35% of adults - out of the population of seven billion people - can drink milk. I didn’t realize that the number was so low or so drastic. Pobiner used lactose intolerance as an example of her four step plan for building an evolutionary explanation; this included variation, inheritance, selection, and adaption. She explained why some regions have more lactose intolerance than others and displayed the distribution of people through the form of a map. With this introduction, the evolution of lactose was explained. Pobiner pointed out that a seven thousand year old pottery sieve that was used to make cheese was founded. So, using this sample, it can be estimated that milk has been used for that long, maybe even longer. It was thought that the intolerance of lactose to have begun only about five thousand years ago. This was discovered from ancient
The main difference between lactase persistent and lactase non-persistent adults is that they possess different genes which implies that their genes are controlled differently. People who are lactase persistent usually have a lactase gene that is not switched off after their childhood. The body regulates the effects of a gene in three main ways. The first is regulation at the level of gene expression. This entails turning on and off of the gene or reducing the amount of gene product. The second way is through regulation at the level of RNA. This entails controlling levels of production of proteins through either modification or removal of RNA products to ensure that they do not undergo translation to form proteins. The third way is through
Often described as “Nature’s Perfect Food”, milk is the foundation of life for all newborn mammals (Velten 10). Milk has played a central role in the American cultural and industrial landscape over the last century, binding farms with urban consumers, placing regulators at odds with producers, and inspiring a constant dance between producers, consolidators, nutritionists and end-users about how it is marketed and sold (Smith-Howard 368). As I have become older I have gained a new yet expected intolerance to lactose. I never used to have a problem when I was little but as food economies are changing, so are our products. By the 1950s, consumers demanded standards for dairy products while also developing a growing concern about health issues caused by dairy fats (Smith-Howard 368). This puts all of us at risk for certain diseases including osteoporosis and heart disease. The females of all mammal species can produce milk but cow milk dominates commercial production. Cow’s milk was initially intended only for baby cows. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Humans are the only species that drink milk after infancy.
Galactosemia is a rare congenital disorder which affects the body’s inability to convert galactose into glucose. Galactose is a type of sugar, which is a breakdown product of lactose. Lactose is found in milk and milk products, including breast milk. Given that the galactose can not be broken down, it builds up in the body and acts as a poison that can cause serious damage to it‘s carrier(“galactosemia“). “As milk is important to a baby’s diet, early diagnosis is essential to avoid lifelong problems from this potentially fatal disorder “(Chung). This research paper provides information about the genetic part of Galactosemia, the cause, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment.
Lactase, a type of enzyme usually found in the small intestine, breaks down lactose into sugars such as galactose and glucose. People that are lactose intolerant cannot consume anything containing dairy because they cannot break down lactose, a sugar found in milk. Those that are lactose intolerant lack the enzyme lactase. Without lactase, the body does not have the ability to break down lactose, which leads to a person having an upset stomach and diarrhea. Adults are more likely to be lactose intolerant than children because of the metabolic change in the body (Dritsas). The lack of lactase that people have can be compensated by taking pills to help break down lactose that is consumed; with the help of a lactase pill the body can now absorb galactase and glucose properly (McCracken, 481).
Throughout history there has been a need for alternative feeding methods for infants. Whether because of an issue with the mother’s milk supply or because of death of the mother, there have always been children that required the use of something other than their own mother’s milk. In more recent history, alternative feeding has also been used as a convenience. Prior to the development of infant formula in 1865, animal milk and wet nurses were used to accomplish the feeding of orphaned infants or others whose mothers could not, or chose not to, breast feed. Between 1950 and 1970 the breast feeding rate fell dramatically. Some studies suggest that more that 75 percent of American infants born during that time were formula fed. As the rates of diabetes, obesity and other health issues continue to increase researchers are looking at how individuals are feeding their infants and what effects the large amounts of high calorie “breast-milk substitute” may be having. Infant formula is being considered as one of the contributors to the growing health crisis in America. American mothers may be inadvertently predisposing their children to a lifetime of health issues by choosing not to breast feed.
Unpasteurized milk or dairy product is also a factor to a body's health because unpasteurized dairy can be vehicles for the spread of pathogenic microorganisms (Cancer Prevention Coalition). Also IGF-1 is not destroyed in the pasteurization process; the pasteurization process actually increases IGF-1levels in milk. IGF-1can also be absorbed into the bloodstream and effect other hormones (Cancer Prevention Coalition). Pasteurization also cuts in half the value of calcium milk could potentially have. The nutritional quality of milk and cheese is altered in the pasteurization process and fat is increa...
Most argue that the formulas created in a lab just cannot imitate the nutrients that a mother herself can make. The Natural Resources Defense Council concluded that Breast-fed children are less likely to contract a number of diseases early on and also later in life these include but are not limited to juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer. The infant brain also benefits vastly from breastfeeding. The babies are not the only one who benefit from this. Th...
Why are so many people consuming milk on a daily basis? Milk for many cultures has been a long time food staple from birth to adulthood dating back 7,500 years. (Is Milk Good for You). Today milk is one of the most widely used culinary ingredients, it is used on cereal, drank plain or may have flavoring added to make it taste like chocolate or strawberry. “It provides other food sources such as cheese, yogurt and butter” (Is Milk Good). There are many minerals and vitamins in milk that the body uses to maintain a healthy homeostasis, such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. These minerals help with maintaining bone strength, generating energy for cells, regulating body fluids and assist with nerve stimulation (Tod). The most notable vitamin in milk is “vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and influences bone mineralization, the strengthening of bones” (Tod). Milk also contains high levels of proteins that are used to build and repair muscle, maintain healthy skin, and help in the resistance of infection (Tod). Physicians strongly emphasize the importance of dairy in one’s diet, mainly pertaining to the intake of calcium and vitamin D ...
mother’s milk. It a practice that has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of our existence. It has proven to be an efficient and healthy way to feed newborns. Several research have shown numerous benefits of breastfeeding. For example, when it comes to the comparison of breast milk and formula milk, studies have shown that formula milk can be harder for babies to digest. This is due to the fact that formula milk is created from cows and babies, stomachs have a hard time digesting and adjusting to it. In addition, the overall quality of formula milk lack the critical nutritions such as antibodies, which breast milk provides to help fight of infections and prevent diseases. As a result, the benefits of
Williams, Ward. “Comparison of Human Milk and Formula” A Trusted Resource for Parents. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2009.
What Makes Human Milk Special? (Mar-Apr 2006). New Beginnings Vol. 23 No.2 , pp 82-3.