The Complicated History of Milk

Lance GeigerofThe History Guyrecounted the surprisingly complicated history of milk from mammals, noting that its basic sugar, lactose, is incredibly complex.

Harold Brassau a senior research scientist at the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland explains this sugar is so familiar to Dairy microbiologists that they forget that lactose is an exotic compound in nature ... Stranger still, our digestive system find natural sugars like glucose fructose and sucrose easy to absorb. Lactose on the other hand poses, what Dr Brussel calls a biochemical challenge.

Additionally, lactose, which is a disaccharide, requrires the enzyme lactase for absorption. This is especially important for nursing infants, however as lactase decreases over time, the child will eventually find discomfort with mother's milk and will go on to solid food.

Lactose also regulates. As the production of lactase decreases over time consequently, it becomes more difficult for the child to digest lactose causing uncomfortable symptoms like gas and diarrhea as the child starts to reject the breast milk. The mother weans the child and this stops the cycle.

Milk is definitely a weird choice of beverage and its popularity has declined in recent years.

Changing attitudes about health changing lifestyle to grab and go meals where milk doesn't fit in so well and competition from plant-based milk alternatives and milk consumption has continued to decline according to the US Department of Agriculture.