Most people in the West. When you start talking about Lactose and Lactose intolerance. The assumption is you are referring to Cows Milk.
To that end. Dr. Simpson is correct. The ability to digest Cows Milk is in fact a recent genetic adaptation almost exclusive to Northern and Central Europe.
Other species such as Camels either have lower amounts of lactose in their milk making it more digestible by people who otherwise couldn’t consume dairy of any sort. Or had other differences making it more digestible when compared to cows milk.
As is goat milk highly digestible, and I understand sheep's milk as well. However humans have been drinking cow's milk for thousands of years. There are pictographs of Egyptians milking their cows.
"The first time that we see the lactase persistence allele in Europe arising is around 5,000 years BP [before present] in southern Europe, and then it starts to kick in in central Europe around 3,000 years ago,” says assistant professor Laure Ségurel at the Museum of Humankind in Paris, who co-authored a 2017 review of the science of lactase persistence.
The lactase persistence trait was favoured by evolution and today it is extremely common in some populations. In northern Europe, more than 90% of people are lactase persistent. The same is true in a few populations in Africa and the Middle East.
But there are also many populations where lactase persistence is much rarer: many Africans do not have the trait and it is uncommon in Asia and South America."
Most people in the West. When you start talking about Lactose and Lactose intolerance. The assumption is you are referring to Cows Milk.
To that end. Dr. Simpson is correct. The ability to digest Cows Milk is in fact a recent genetic adaptation almost exclusive to Northern and Central Europe.
Other species such as Camels either have lower amounts of lactose in their milk making it more digestible by people who otherwise couldn’t consume dairy of any sort. Or had other differences making it more digestible when compared to cows milk.
As is goat milk highly digestible, and I understand sheep's milk as well. However humans have been drinking cow's milk for thousands of years. There are pictographs of Egyptians milking their cows.
"The first time that we see the lactase persistence allele in Europe arising is around 5,000 years BP [before present] in southern Europe, and then it starts to kick in in central Europe around 3,000 years ago,” says assistant professor Laure Ségurel at the Museum of Humankind in Paris, who co-authored a 2017 review of the science of lactase persistence.
The lactase persistence trait was favoured by evolution and today it is extremely common in some populations. In northern Europe, more than 90% of people are lactase persistent. The same is true in a few populations in Africa and the Middle East.
But there are also many populations where lactase persistence is much rarer: many Africans do not have the trait and it is uncommon in Asia and South America."