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In This Article:

• Why lactose intolerance is more common than you think
• The surprising link between milk and skin problems like acne and rosacea
• New research on dairy’s connection to cancer and chronic illness
• How your genes determine your ability to digest lactose
• Practical tips for dairy alternatives, calcium sources, and reducing inflammation

What You Haven’t Been Told About Milk

by Sharad P. Paul, MD, author of the book: Biohacking Your Genes

Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar found in dairy prod­ucts. When lactose is properly digested, it is broken down into two different sugar molecules: glucose and galactose. Lactase is the enzyme needed to break down lactose.

Some people do not produce any, or enough, lactase. Because of this, lactose passes through the intestines undigested. When this occurs, gut bacteria in the intestines ferment the lactose, which pro­duces gas that leads to bloating and cramps and causes water to enter the intestine quickly, leading to diarrhea.

These are the uncomfortable symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. These symptoms can develop as early as one hour after you consume lactose-containing products.

Skin Problems: Acne. Rosacea, Blackheads, Whiteheads

As a skin MD, I have long noted that cow’s milk aggra­vates conditions such as acne and rosacea. We know that acne is a chronic inflammatory condition in hair follicles, and this can lead to them getting clogged and becoming open comedones (blackheads) or closed comedones (whiteheads).

Meta-analyses have shown that any dairy, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, is associated with an increased incidence of acne, especially in people under the age of thirty.

I began my skin practice in 1996. At that time, the link between consumption of milk (or lactose, in general) and inflammatory skin diseases was not known. In 2005, a retro­spective study asked 47,355 adult women to recall their high school diet. The study was confined to those who had sought physician assistance for acne. This large study found that acne was positively associated with the reported quantity of milk ingested—even skim milk.

The Origins of Drinking Cow’s Milk

It is interesting that until less than ten thousand years ago, the human consumption of cow’s milk was unknown. Historically, animal milk consumption originated from our desperation to survive during a famine. Genes are all about propagation of a species and as some people developed genes to digest lactose, these were passed on to future generations.

Drinking animal milk became advantageous, even crucial, to our evolutionary progress throughout history, such as help­ing us against the threat of deadly diseases like malaria. Even today, malaria causes over half a million deaths a year globally. Studies done on mice today have shown that fermented milk has some antimalarial effect, reducing the risk of infection. The calcium and phosphate content of milk is also beneficial against rickets.

Dairy farming originated in the Middle East and was then adopted in Europe—accordingly, lactose intolerance occurs in about 25 percent of people in Europe; 50 to 80 percent of people of Hispanic origin, south India, and Africa and Ashke­nazi Jews; and almost all adults in Asia and Native Americans cannot digest lactose properly. This is because people living in Africa and East and Southeast Asia were mostly hunter-gatherers, leading to a high degree of lactose intolerance in adults. In places with high malaria rates, the ability to digest lactose persisted for longer, indicating the link between lac­tose genes and diseases.

Lactose Intolerance and Cancer

Recently, I was interested in a study that was done in Sweden on the association between lactose intolerance and cancers, and more specifically breast cancer. This large 2015 cohort study, involving over twenty thousand women, noted that people with lactose intolerance who did not consume dairy products, especially cow’s milk, had decreased risks of lung, breast, and ovarian cancers.

We know cancers always have a genetic preponderance. What was interesting in this study was that they also studied these women’s family mem­bers, who did not have this lower risk, and the reduced risk was specifically attributed to these individuals’ avoidance of dairy products.

Scientists Harald zur Hausen and Ethel-Michele de Villiers are based at DKFZ, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. They believe that viral pathogens cause chronic inflammation, which leads to cancer, and in their stud­ies, they have identified European cows as a potential source.

Their team identified viral single-stranded DNA rings, which they have called bovine meat and milk factors (BMMF), in the intestines of patients with colon cancer. They believe that this new class of pathogen deserves to become the focus of cancer development and research into further chronic diseases. This new hypothesis is that milk products and bovine proteins harbor viruses that can later lead to breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes.

New Zealand, the world’s biggest exporter of milk, has very high rates of both breast cancer and multiple sclerosis (MS). This information about MS was particularly interesting.

When I lived in India, I had never come across a case of MS, and standard medical teaching was that MS is more prevalent at the poles and rare in the tropics. But Israel, for example, is an outlier, with very high rates of MS even though it is not a polar country. Is it a coincidence that Israel has a high dairy intake? Is zur Hausen correct? Time will tell.

Biohoacking Your Lactose Genes

As I mentioned earlier, lactose intolerance is more common in people of African and Asian descent. Lactose intolerance is controlled by a DNA sequence located within a gene called MCM6.

When we break down lactose, it turns into glucose and galactose (another sugar with the same formula as glucose and fructose: C6H12O6). Sometimes, when people are ill and their bowel is not functioning normally, they can also temporarily become lactose intolerant.

We now know the risky variants of the MCM6 gene that lead to lactose intolerance they are CC or CT. If you have the TT variant, you have a low or no risk of being lactose intolerant.

Typically, individuals with lactose intolerance may have to consume a lactose-free or lactose-reduced diet for life or consume dairy products with a meal to reduce the impact of lactose on the gastrointestinal system.

Can You Train Your Body to Tolerate Lactose?

Sometimes you can train your body to produce more lac­tase enzyme by gradually introducing lactose into your diet. Research shows that individuals who consume a lactose-free diet are at a greater risk of inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake compared to individuals who can tolerate lactose.

Calcium and vitamin D are important for building and main­taining strong bones and teeth. If you have lactose intolerance, you can still get enough calcium and vitamin D in the diet through lactose-free milk as well as fortified milk alternatives such as soy and almond beverages. Calcium and vitamin D are not added to all milk alternatives, so be sure to read the label to check that the products you are choosing have been “forti­fied with calcium and vitamin D.”

In my practice as a skin cancer MD, I have noted late-onset acne-like eruptions in women quite commonly, as also noted in many studies. If you are prone to breakouts or skin inflammation, avoid lac­tose. If your gene profile suggests a degree of lactose intolerance, you may find your skin is better if you eliminate it completely from your diet.

Goat’s milk is associated with inflammation, even if used to make soaps. A study showed that goat’s milk soap for the management of inflammatory skin conditions appears to be associated with clinically significant sensitization, and allergy to goat’s milk–based foods is also noted.

To help meet your calcium and vitamin D needs, aim to include one serving of dairy, if tolerated, and one to two calcium- and vitamin D-fortified lactose-free milk or dairy alternatives such as soy or almond beverages.

Food Sources High in Lactose

*The lactose content in yogurt decreases each day, even while it sits in the fridge, because the natural bacteria present in yogurt use lactose for energy.

* Humans have only consumed milk for less than 10 per­cent of our existence.

* As we become older, we develop a degree of lactose intolerance.

* Lactose intolerance is more common in African and Asian populations.

* Fermented dairy foods have lower lactose than fresh sources.

Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Article Source:

BOOK: Biohacking Your Genes

Biohacking Your Genes: 25 Laws for a Smarter, Healthier, and Longer Life
by Sharad P. Paul, MD.

Unlock the secrets to optimal health and longevity today! World-leading doctor and international expert on personalized health Dr. Sharad P. Paul details how you can cultivate a smarter, healthier, and longer life.

The healthcare industry treats illness, but true wellness and a healthy well-being actually come from your lifestyle, diet, and genetics. It’s time to stop underestimating the power of our genes and finally learn how we can biohack them to better our health. Unlike many other books on longevity, this book suggests that happiness and health are about one’s health-span, not lifespan. It includes the author’s essential twenty-five actionable tips for a better body and mind, backed by the author’s extensive scientific research and more than twenty-five years in medical practice.

For more info and/or to order this hardcover book, click here.  Also available as a Kindle edition. 

About the Author

Sharad P. Paul, MD, is a skin cancer specialist, family physician, evolutionary biologist, storyteller, social entrepreneur, and an adjunct professor at Auckland University of Technology. Born in England, with a childhood in India, he’s a global citizen and a noted polymath. He received the Ko Awatea International Excellence Award for “leading health Improvement on a global scale, and his work towards patient-centered medicine across several countries.” He has authored works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and medical textbooks. His new book is Biohacking Your Genes: 25 Laws for a Smarter, Healthier, and Longer Life (Beyond Words Publishing, Oct. 14, 2024). Learn more at BiohackingYourGenes.com.  

More books by this Author.

Article Recap:

Sharad P. Paul, MD, explores the complex relationship between cow’s milk, gut health, genetics, and disease. He shares emerging research on lactose intolerance, skin inflammation, and even the potential viral risks hidden in dairy. Learn how to recognize lactose issues, understand your genetic predisposition, and choose smarter nutritional options for lifelong health.

#LactoseIntolerance #CowMilkTruth #DairyAndSkin #GutHealth #MilkAndCancer #BiohackingYourGenes #SharadPaul #FermentedFoods #GeneticNutrition #MilkAlternatives