The idea of “lactose intolerance” is one of the largest misconceptions in the world.
THREAD 🧵
THREAD 🧵
https://twitter.com/ravenous_baby/status/1457059389236563976
Many people today believe they are lactose intolerant, and will avoid dairy. We are told that most people stop producing lactase after infancy, and therefore must stop consuming dairy. Yet when these people go get raw milk from a farm, they have little to no issues. Why is this?
Let’s start with lactose. What is it?
LactOse is the sugar in milk composed of galactose and glucose. It’s what gives milk its sweetness. When they say someone is lactose intolerant, what they are saying is that they do not produce lactAse, the enzyme which breakdowns lactose.
LactOse is the sugar in milk composed of galactose and glucose. It’s what gives milk its sweetness. When they say someone is lactose intolerant, what they are saying is that they do not produce lactAse, the enzyme which breakdowns lactose.
This is why there are products like Lactaid, where they add lactase into the milk. This is also why many people who are lactose intolerant can consume butter or some cheeses, because they do not have any sugar.
Now, while it is true that some people produce more lactase in their intestines, this really doesn’t matter much because RAW MILK HAS LACTASE IN IT ALREADY. Not to mention other enzymes which help to digest it in its entirety. These are all destroyed during pasteurization.
Arguably more important than enzymes are the bacteria present in raw milk. Yes, the bacteria in raw milk is a GOOD thing. You’ve probably heard of Lactobacillus or Lactococcus strains.
The bacteria are actually doing the primary work of digestion.
The bacteria are actually doing the primary work of digestion.
This is why yogurt is easier to digest than fresh milk. They have already begun to breakdown the milk for you. If you take a jar of raw milk and leave it on the counter at room temperature, it will become yogurt in a couple days. No need to add any culture. The milk will clabber.
In addition to lactose, there are other things present in milk which cause people digestive issues, like whey and casein, the two proteins found in milk. You may have heard of A1 or A2 milk. This is in reference to beta-caseins produced by different genetic variations of cows.
Most mass produced milk in the US and Europe come from A1 cows. Just about all other milking livestock, as well as humans, produce A2 casein. This is why people will often be able to digest sheep or goat milk better than cow.
Unfortunately, just like with everything else in milk, pasteurization denatures the proteins in milk, changing their molecular structure and making them much harder to digest. And as most people today are unhealthy, their body may not produce enough protease, the protein enzyme.
All this considered, it’s important to recognize that up until recently, the vast majority of animal milk consumed by humans was not fresh milk. Most of it was various fermented milks like yogurt and cheese, and butter or ghee, all of which can be made at home from raw milk.
But fresh milk is delicious, so transitioning to raw might be your solution. This switch isn’t always easy. The low quality pasteurized milk you’ve consumed your whole life has an effect on you, and some of that may linger.
The remnants of the cauterized casein and lactic acid from pasteurized dairy will actually be liberated from your system by raw milk. Your body will also be adjusting to a new population of bacteria in the gut. Because of this, you might feel some discomfort for a short time.
For most people this doesn’t even last a few days, while others it can take weeks or months. Whether you would like to give it a try yourself is up to you. But if you do, head on over to my Patreon for the best steps you can take to maximize digestion and ease the transition.
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