>If you have Asian, African, Mediterranean, or Jewish
>ancestry, you are more likely to be lactose intolerant, and
>it is more likely to show up earlier.  Interestingly, of the
>western-European Americans with lactose intolerance that
>I know, all became intolerant in their  thirties.  However, I
>have lactose intolerant Asian and Jewish friends who have
>been this way since late childhood.

Just another story that might shed light for those with children who are
lactose intolerant.  I was "allergic" to milk when born (cows milk that
is--people just didn't nurse much in the 1950's).  I got diarrhea.  When I
was about 1 yr old I could start drinking milk and could drink it up until
my late teens when I started having trouble again.  From what I have read,
it is just that as a newborn I did not produce enough of the enzyme lactase
to breakdown the lactose in dairy, and at 1 yr old started to.  It seems to
peak at about 3 and then gradually over the years trail off again.

So parents whose children seem to "outgrow" their lactose inttoleence at
about 1 yr old or older may see it reappear later in life.

>
>>Could someone please explain why adults who were
>>apparently lactose tolerant all their lives suddenly
>>become intolerant, especially in their thirties.

Sonmeone explained this well in another post but I thought I would just
agree that it seems that the situation is just that these people did
produce the enzyme lactase in sufficient quantities as children and young
adults and then it trailed off.

Rachele Shaw
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