Here are some things I remember about Milk's history,
The ability to digest the milk sugar lactose first evolved in dairy farming communities in central Europe. The genetic change that enabled early Europeans to drink milk without getting sick has been mapped to dairying farmers who lived around 7,500 years ago in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe. Most adults worldwide do not produce the enzyme lactase and so are unable to digest the milk sugar lactose. However, most Europeans continue to produce lactase throughout their life, a characteristic known as lactase persistence. It is believed the consumption of Cow's Milk, specifically, started around the Dark/ Middle Ages. At the time major crises led to radical changes in all areas of society. They were: demographic collapse, political instabilities and religious upheavals. Not to mention a devastating series of famines and plagues, beginning with the Great Famine of 1315–17 and especially the Black Death of 1348. Lastly, milk can compensate for the lack of sunlight and synthesis of vitamin D in skin at more northern latitudes, since vitamin D is required for calcium absorption and milk provides a good dietary source of both nutrients. Milk provides a calorie- and protein-rich food source, comes in a relatively constant supply compared to the boom-and-bust of seasonal crops, and would have been less contaminated than water supplies. Truth is, "Naturally" only human babies could stomach Mother's breast milk and even then only for a few months. Back in the Dizz-ay, Lactase literally had to be "integrated" into the human gut due to a lack of consistent nutritional sustenance. That's roughly all I recall. . . . Ha. You have been knowledge-d!
Yr post looked very interesting but I don't think I'm the only one who just can't wade through such a long paragraph!
One statement which jumped out was about "naturally" human babies can only stomach breastmilk for a few months - that is just ridiculous! Continuing to breastfeed up to 4 or 5 or even 6 used to be common because if the child is demand fed this goes some way to prevent another pregnancy.
I do not believe milk itself would have been healthy centuries ago because of the lack of refrigeration, which is probably how cheese and yoghurt were discovered/invented.
Why do we drink milk?
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Here are some things I remember about Milk's history,
The ability to digest the milk sugar lactose first evolved in dairy farming communities in central Europe. The genetic change that enabled early Europeans to drink milk without getting sick has been mapped to dairying farmers who lived around 7,500 years ago in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe. Most adults worldwide do not produce the enzyme lactase and so are unable to digest the milk sugar lactose. However, most Europeans continue to produce lactase throughout their life, a characteristic known as lactase persistence. It is believed the consumption of Cow's Milk, specifically, started around the Dark/ Middle Ages. At the time major crises led to radical changes in all areas of society. They were: demographic collapse, political instabilities and religious upheavals. Not to mention a devastating series of famines and plagues, beginning with the Great Famine of 1315–17 and especially the Black Death of 1348. Lastly, milk can compensate for the lack of sunlight and synthesis of vitamin D in skin at more northern latitudes, since vitamin D is required for calcium absorption and milk provides a good dietary source of both nutrients. Milk provides a calorie- and protein-rich food source, comes in a relatively constant supply compared to the boom-and-bust of seasonal crops, and would have been less contaminated than water supplies. Truth is, "Naturally" only human babies could stomach Mother's breast milk and even then only for a few months. Back in the Dizz-ay, Lactase literally had to be "integrated" into the human gut due to a lack of consistent nutritional sustenance. That's roughly all I recall. . . . Ha. You have been knowledge-d!
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Ellenna
8 years ago
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Yr post looked very interesting but I don't think I'm the only one who just can't wade through such a long paragraph!
One statement which jumped out was about "naturally" human babies can only stomach breastmilk for a few months - that is just ridiculous! Continuing to breastfeed up to 4 or 5 or even 6 used to be common because if the child is demand fed this goes some way to prevent another pregnancy.
I do not believe milk itself would have been healthy centuries ago because of the lack of refrigeration, which is probably how cheese and yoghurt were discovered/invented.