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Comment by jmnicolas | Hacker News Reader

> Most humans have to avoid dairy; many must avoid wheat. Find out if you’re one of them.

And how do I find out if I have to avoid dairy or wheat ? Last year I stopped eating them for a couple of months but didn't see a notable difference in my general well being.

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Lactose intolerance is typically pretty easy to determine -- most people who are lactose intolerant will quickly notice when they suffer from gas, bloating, diarrhea etc. shortly after consuming dairy foods.

Wheat is a bit more complicated since there different potential issues that present differently. There's a good overview of celiac vs. gluten sensitivity vs. wheat allergy at http://gastro.ucla.edu/site.cfm?id=281 if you're interested.

Sounds like you're in the clear, though.

If you noticed no difference, that seems like a good sign it might be alright for you. That said, based on people I know, those who should not be eating dairy or wheat get various levels of intestinal distress if they do; it's pretty obvious.

But most importantly, consult a doctor or other medical professional if you need more information.

it's pretty obvious

this is what I don't get: author says most should avoid dairy, you (and others) say it's easy to recognize problems with eating it. Yet the vast majority of all people I know have no problems with dairy whatsoever. So is the author wrong, does he mean something else, do I live with people who can't recognize problems originating from dairy use or do I live with a special subgroup of people who all happen to have no problem with dairy?

It took me 26 years to realize dairy was the problem. It's hard to see the cloud from within.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance, "The frequency of lactose intolerance ranges from 5% in Northern European to more than 90% in some African and Asian countries."

It seems to depend on the region of the world your ancestors are from. Those cultures which used milk as a food source for adults tend to have lower incidences of lactose intolerance.

Approximately 65% of the worlds population suffers from a diminished ability to digest dairy after childhood, see http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance. That said lactose intolerance usually doesn't occur in people of European descent so I would imagine you happen to live in s special subgroup who has no such problem.

For dairy in particular, it's the last one. Globally, lactose persistence (the opposite of lactose intolerance) is a minority trait that appears to have arisen in populations that raised domesticated cattle, but not elsewhere. Most African and southeast Asian adults, for example, are lactose intolerant. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactase_persistence

I just wanted to point out that African and Asian adults would certainly constitute "most" people, based on population. As I understand it, populations that can consume dairy tend to be centered on Northern Europe, a very small fraction of the global population.

I'll only speak for myself, but I was first thrown off by the "most" part as well, until I realized I had a pretty Euro-centric view of it. "Most people I know have no problem with dairy," I thought to myself. Then I remembered most people I know have European ancestry.

Not to nitpick, but it's "lactase" persistence. Lactase is the enzyme which breaks down lactose. People without lactase in their gut cannot digest lactose, hence "lactose intolerance" in those without "lactase persistence".

It's pretty obvious when you connect the dots, but lactose intolerance (like many things) is a spectrum. Personally, milk with my cereal occasionally is fine, but I have a pretty bad night if I mow down a full bowl of ice cream (or as I am wont to do yearly, several glasses of egg nog).

I think you found out. You're one of the lucky ones.

So you are probably fine eating them.

I think the most genius part of the paleo diet movement was the naming of it.

The problem is simple carbs and addiction to sugar. Try ween of simple carbs and excess sugar. Veggies and meat / fish. Takes about 6 months to get off and get used not eating or very little amounts of simple carbs and little sugar. Also try intermitting fasting. Works for me. I feel great and workout / cross fit daily with my first meal around 2pm and last meal around 7-8pm

Your answer to "how do I find out if I have to avoid dairy or wheat?" is to ween off of simple carbs and sugar?

and do cross-fit!

lol. Crap i went off on a tangent! Answer to your question: I honestly don't know, but i suppose testing would be your best bet. Yeah and try crossfit, or calisthenics!

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