Excited
On a totally unrelated note, when jozjozjoz mentioned latose intolerance, it reminded me of an experiment I tried.
I, like many Asian Americans I know, turned lactose intolerant a few years ago. And it totally sucked ass. No more Cold Stones and Ben & Jerrys. Goodbye Pizookies. Hello soy milk.
To be fair, this isn’t a case just for Asian Americans. A lot of people are lactose intolerant, all around the world. It’s just that, historically, many Asian groups don’t regularly consume milk in their diets, leading to the natural state of lactose intolerance.
So why would I want to be able to drink milk? I’ll give you three reasons: Cold Stones, Ben & Jerrys, and Pizookies. I have a thing for sweets, what can I say?
One day, a friend casually mentioned to me that yogurt contains live bacteria that aids in lactose digestion. Hmm, I thought. So I did some research and found that:
When yogurt is consumed, bile acids disrupt the cell wall of the bacteria in yogurt. This releases the enzyme beta-galactosidase (related to lactase) into the intestines, where it can enhance lactose digestion.
Not any yogurt will do. It must contain live active bacteria.
This is because yogurt contains acidophilus, a dietary supplement often used to reduce the symptoms of lactose intolerance.
With this in mind, I decided to try this very unscientific experiment:
- Eat yogurt every day, for two weeks
- Drink a glass of milk at the end of each week
The results?
Week 1
Lactose intolerance still there. And how. I admit, I didn’t drink a full glass of milk. But the effects were the same.
Week 2
Lactose intolerance… gone! Holy crap! (Or lack thereof.) Hello ice cream, goodbye soy milk! I’ve been drinking milk semi-regularly since then, with no problems at all.
I can hardly say this experiment is reliable or conclusive. What worked for me may not work for you – just like acidophilus works for some, but not others. If you want to try this, consult your doctor or nutritionist first. After all, maybe humans are lactose intolerant for a reason. (And if you’re allergic to milk, that’s a very different ball game.)
Now pardon me while I enjoy this cup o’ Cold Stone ice cream. Mmmm!
(Flickr photo credit: NickPiggott)
How does this post make you feel?
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
NOTE: 8Asians.com is a community, and we thank you for being a part of it. While we welcome and appreciate differences in opinion, if you're rude or you're promoting spam, we have a right to edit or delete your comment. Read our comment policy for more information.
If you see a comment that violates the 8Asians.com comment policy, you may flag the comment by mousing over the comment and clicking "FLAG."
Well, most of the world is lactose intolerant because historically most people don't really ingest cow milk products after childhood and adolescence, so there's less production of the enzyme that helps digest lactose, so people become lactose intolerant.
I am SO glad that my family's not lactose intolerant and pizookies are &$*$# awesome--though Maggie Mudd's brownie sundae comes in second (with the chocolate habanero soy ice cream, of course). :)
Well, most of the world is lactose intolerant because historically most people don't really ingest cow milk products after childhood and adolescence, so there's less production of the enzyme that helps digest lactose, so people become lactose intolerant.
I am SO glad that my family's not lactose intolerant and pizookies are &$*$# awesome--though Maggie Mudd's brownie sundae comes in second (with the chocolate habanero soy ice cream, of course). :)
You can also take probiotic pearls. You can get them at Whole Foods. They do the same thing as yogurt, but better. A lot of yogurt sold doesn't have nearly enough live cultures in it and your stomach digests a lot of them before they get to your gut where you need it.
For me (and I'm VERY lactose intolerant), it greatly helps all kinds of digestion and I can sneak in a piece of pizza every now and then, but milk, chocolate (not dark) and ice cream are still too much for me...
You can also take probiotic pearls. You can get them at Whole Foods. They do the same thing as yogurt, but better. A lot of yogurt sold doesn't have nearly enough live cultures in it and your stomach digests a lot of them before they get to your gut where you need it.
For me (and I'm VERY lactose intolerant), it greatly helps all kinds of digestion and I can sneak in a piece of pizza every now and then, but milk, chocolate (not dark) and ice cream are still too much for me...
@Kimmie: Oh, you raise a good point - after doing this experiment, I found that I had to eat a yogurt or drink milk every day to keep up the tolerance. But since those foods are good for ya, I guess that's all good.
@jozjozjoz: Pizookies are off the hizook!
@Kimmie: Oh, you raise a good point - after doing this experiment, I found that I had to eat a yogurt or drink milk every day to keep up the tolerance. But since those foods are good for ya, I guess that's all good.
@jozjozjoz: Pizookies are off the hizook!
How did I not know what a Pizookie is until now?!?!!
How did I not know what a Pizookie is until now?!?!!
It is a real shame that I absolutely hate yogurt. I've also heard that if you eat yogurt with the active bacteria, that lactose intolerance goes away. For now, I just force myself to eat something dairy daily. :( It's painful, but necessary to keep some tolerance up.
It is a real shame that I absolutely hate yogurt. I've also heard that if you eat yogurt with the active bacteria, that lactose intolerance goes away. For now, I just force myself to eat something dairy daily. :( It's painful, but necessary to keep some tolerance up.
Trackbacks
Custom Search
Recent Posts
- Chinese New Year Lanterns
- Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Assassination Rumors Hit the Internet
- Help Fight Stereoptypes With Asian Crew Clothing
- Deftones’ Chi Cheng Wakes Up From His 3-Year Coma
- SXSW 2012 Has a Nice Handful of Asian Movies
- Woman In China Gives Birth To 15 Lb Baby
- Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
Recent Comments
- : I think what you're saying makes sense for daily teaching/learning, and for testing depending on the subject and the expertise level being tested. However it... – How Standardized Tests Stunt the Intellectual Growth of Asian American Students
- : @LH Lawson Did you expect 8A, a blog dedicated to APA issues and current events, to NOT talk about the first American-born NBA player of... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : Can you just let him ball. Damn. Just enjoy this. – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : CUTE! i thought selca was self camera too, but self capture sounds better! please support my page~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ulzzang-Contest/330329873668042 – Selca: Taking Photos of Yourself, So You Don't Look Like A Fool Taking Someone Elses
- : you sound like some neonazi dike bitch who wouldnt know a good thing if it slapped ou in your fat pig head – NBC’s Outsourced Canceled: Sad But Not Surprised
APA Events
Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons
Feb 18: (Stanford, CA) Stanford’s 16th Listen to the Silence Conference- Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
Feb 25: (Los Angeles, CA) Past Present I Future Imperatives: Queer Space Time
Mar 3: (New York, NY) Vong Pak’s ‘Electric Shaman’ Concert
Apr 30: (Sacramento, CA) California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit 2012: iAdvocate
Staff and Contributors
- Editors
- Ernie Hsiung - Founder, Editor-in-Chief
- Moye Ishimoto - Co-Editor, Editorial
- Joz Wang - Co-Editor, PR & APA Outreach
[...] know which boys won’t be in that yard enjoying her delicious milkshake? Asian boys. Why? Because most of us are lactose intolerant! And though we may want her milkshake as much as that other guy and would be willing to learn from [...]