Most Americans are lactose intolerant.
About 65% of the world's population is lactose intolerant, with higher percentages of intolerance in people of color.
Some people reject dairy as an infant, but most people begin showing signs of lactose intolerance later in life. Lactose is a sugar in milk that naturally comes from many animals, including cows.
Dairy is a base for many meals around the world; Often, when people are lactose intolerant, they still find it challenging to eliminate, as there are so many food choices with butter as an ingredient. But now, we're seeing an increase in the number of people choosing to give up dairy without intolerance or allergic reaction; people are becoming more conscious of food choices and the overall effects on the body. In addition, when the pandemic hit, people were looking to do anything they could to ensure their bodies were in the best shape to fight covid if they so happened to contract it, and dairy became one of the food choices to lessen or eliminate.
Why are people minimizing their dairy intake?
Many believe that dairy causes phlegm to thicken, causing excess mucus, difficulty breathing, and respiratory conditions. But in our research, medical journals coincided with that statement and stated the opposite.
For example, the medical journal, Does Milk Increase Mucus Production, states 'In the human colon, beta-casomorphin-7 (beta-CM-7), an exorphin derived from the breakdown of A1 milk, stimulates mucus production from gut MUCU5AC glands'. However, another medical journal, The Milk-Mucus Belief, states 'a questionnaire designed to measure the milk mucus effect was based on sensations and symptoms after drinking milk reported in interviews with 169 individuals, 70 out of whom held the belief that milk produces mucus …It is concluded that the effect measured is not specific to cow's milk but can be duplicated by a non cow's milk drink with similar sensory characteristics.' There is a limited amount of recent research to help people make an informed decision on eliminating dairy.
However, it is also off-putting for many people that cows are artificially selected animals from wild bovines.
Additionally, the milk produced by a cow is for its offspring; many people believe the milk from a woman should be for her offspring instead of an animal.
Some people are choosing to continue with dairy products, as it's been a part of their life for years and a great source of nutrients, while others find that their bodies feel better without it and opt for non-dairy products that provide more plant-based nutrition.
Source: (1) National Library of Medicine: Does Milk Increase Mucus Production? (2) National Library of Medicine: The Milk-Mucus Belief: Sensory Analysis Comparing Cow’s Milk and a Soy Placebo (3) National Library of Medicine: Lactose Intolerance (3) PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: New World Cattle Show Ancestry From Multiple Independent Domestication Events
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