Lactose intolerance in Britain

[helvella]

Article about Stonehenge around 2500 BC:

The presence of dairy food poses a puzzle, however. Genetic evidence indicates that Britons at this time were lactose intolerant. Drinking milk would have made them ill. Yet dairy foods appear to have had widespread use.

This has led Craig and other scientists to argue that cow’s milk would not have been consumed directly but would have been turned into cheese and yoghurt – which would not have triggered lactose intolerance reactions. In other words, people gathering for these festivals would have been eating protein-rich dishes of butter and cheese and other processed dairy products.

theguardian.com/uk-news/201...

I can't help but consider the widespread use of lactose in formulations of medicines madness. And this reinforces that it is not some johnny-come-lately issue from modern farming and food production and just some fashionable thing to have. No, it isn't a fad, it is deeply rooted in the ancient British populations - as well as many other derivations.

(The obvious problem being getting reformulations which don't then do what levothyroxine from Merck Sante and Teva are doing - negatively affecting patients even more than the the lactose!)

[TSH110]

Very interesting - thanks for posting

[silverfox7]

Interesting. I was recently told looking for another brand of Letrozole as mine wasn't available that lactose is sometimes the only content given as most are intolerant to that. Not sure that's really helpful!

[Saggyuk]

Hmmm, I keep thinking about trying dairy free but just can't do it lol! Gluten was easy but not my cheese lol!

I specifically request the meds with lactose in as I have far worse issues with those without like TEVA and because I generally have bad reactions to sweetners and similar, I put it down to things like mannitol which is in TEVA.

A bit pointless to try and give up lactose if in my meds maybe! So is it thought that milk is more of an issue than cheese, butter or yoghurt? - hadn't looked into it much to be honest!

[Saggyuk in reply to Saggyuk]

Just looked - it would be milk in tea that I would have most problem with stopping lol! Yes I can see this is likely to be true actually as I've unconsciously gone off having cereal - maybe due to the amount of milk and do get a little sluggish/bloated after having natural yoghurt or icecream so have increasingly stopped eating them also but don't seem to have issue with cheese or butter. Maybe need to just reduce it more then. Will see but nothing I can do about the lactose in my meds because even my T3 has it and no other option as to which type?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Saggyuk]

I was fine on both Henning and Aliud (German and lactose-free) levothyroxine - but do not like UK Teva at all.

The dairy products which have undergone some form of bacterial or fungal processes will have mostly used up any lactose. Fresh milk is more of an issue than yoghurt. Which is also why some cats are OK on yoghurt but not milk (in small quantities).

Milk in tea - hmm, I gave it up when the amount I took was vanishingly small. I just didn't like the mouth feel and taste. It does help, if you want to go milk-free in tea, to switch to a lighter blend - not PG Tips or other typical heavy British styles of tea.

[Saggyuk in reply to helvella]

Thanks. Haha, I like my tea a little too much and like the typical tetley really strong and really milky! Hate black tea. I do need to do something about that soon I suppose

[Angel_of_the_North]

it wouldn't have been pasteurized - perhaps that makes a difference

[Souxie70]

Thought I would add re what i have learned recently that North European cows produce a protein called A1, whilst Southern Europeans produce A2. Supermarkets have started stocking A2 dairy milk as there is less intolerance to this milk.

For those intolerant of cheese and yoghurt from N Europe, like myself, Greek yoghurt is better tolerated but it has to be proper Greek yoghurt, not the Greek style.