24 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
The Brain Consumes Lactose During Exercise
Scientists have discovered that lactose, a byproduct of intense muscular activities, can be used to fuel the brain with energy. When glucose, the natural fuel of the brain, is no longer present in sufficient quantities, the cell tissue can “switch” to alternative energy, to prevent any damage to the brain on account of the lack of energy.
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Consequently, by consuming the lactose in the blood, the brain clears the way for glucose, the main powering substance in the body, to reach the...
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1 This frees up the body's glucose to fuel the muscles in times of high energy demands on the body (Note: This meme must be wrong in using the term "lactose," because that is a sugar that comes from milk. "Lactate" is a byproduct of muscles consuming glucose that fuels the brain while the muscles take energy-precedence).
24 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Lactate, Lactose, and Lactase
Lactate
Lactate is a negatively charged molecule formed from a compound called lactic acid. Some bacteria make lactate when they metabolize sugars. Humans also produce lactate as a byproduct of metabolism, though only under certain conditions. Specifically, says Dr. Gary Thibodeau in his book "Anatomy and Physiology," you make lactate when your cells process sugars for energy in the absence of oxygen, such as when you're engaging in a hard sprint or power efforts during exercise.
Lact...Lactose and Lactase apparently have no relation to Lactate. Lactose is a sugar in milk, Lactase is an enzyme babies use to digest milk, and Lactate is a byproduct of our muscles expending energy, which is itself a source of energy.
21 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Evolution of Lactose Tolerance
One case involves our ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk.
An enzyme called lactase breaks down this sugar into the more easily
absorbed sugars glucose and galactose. We are born with the ability to
digest milk, of course, for that’s always been the main food of infants.
But after we’re weaned, we gradually stop producing lactase. Eventually,
many of us entirely lose our ability to digest lactose, becoming “lactose
intolerant” and prone to diarrhea, bloating, and cramps a... 1 
notes
notesSome groups of humans evolved the ability to digest milk beyond infancy as their societies domesticated cows.
