My Wall Gets Dented Yet Again

Miscellaneous ignorance about lactose from around the net.

First, a reader's comment from the East Bay Express:

What the heck is "Culinary Cream," why is it low-potassium when most Americans are potassium-deficient, and since when are so many Americans lactose-intolerant in the first place? (Is it the lactose, or the bovine growth hormones?

First, "Culinary cream" is a standard institutional cream-substitute made with neutral-flavored starches to help it resist high heat and give it a longer shelf life. It's not very surprising that a hospital kitchen would use it in place of real cream.

Second, although Americans don't eat as much potassium as recommended, very few healthy Americans are potassium-deficient.

Third, and to the point of this blog, lactose intolerance is an innate genetic condition. It cannot be changed by diet and it has nothing to do with bovine growth hormones.

And if that's not enough, here's yet another example of a writer who doesn't bother to read his or her own article.

It's by E.J. Mundell in the Burlington Free Press:

Lactose-intolerant individuals should still be able to consume skim or lactate-free varieties of milk, or they can turn to fortified non-dairy products.

Lactose-free varieties of milk. Lactose intolerance is intolerance of lactose. Not lactate, which is an entirely different chemical that bothers no one with lactose intolerance. How can you confuse the two in the very same sentence?

Hello, wall. I'll be with you in a second.