INTRODUCTION:   I teach Nutrition and Metabolism in the Department
of Human Nutrition and Foods at Virginia Tech (Land Grant University of
Virginia), Blacksburg, VA to graduate and undergraduate students.  Most of
the undergraduates are Dietetic students.  We have just recently merged
with Exercise Science which makes for an exciting combination we are
presently working on.  I have been "lurking" for about a month and have
been impressed with the breadth and depth of knowledge in so many areas of
health, wellness, and nutrition from a wide array of backgrounds and
experience based on science, folk remedies, and common sense.  And I have
only been able to read half the postings.  Lastly, I am struck by the
networking, community, and "family" that is/has developing/ed here.

        SOY ABM:  Yesterday, Catherine Watson Genna posted a comment about
soy abm and wrote "Lactose is the preferred food for the growing brain,
metabolizing at the exact rate that the brain needs energy".  I would very
much like to know the source of information for this comment and whether
anyone else in addition to Catherine has that information and/or source.
My understanding is that lactose (a disaccharide) is broken down in the
small intestine to glucose and galactose (the two monosaccharides),
absorbed into the blood, goes directly to the liver via the portal vein
where most of the galactose is metabolized (converted) to glucose.  There
is very little galactose in the blood after a few (15 to 30) minutes
(depending on the amount consumed) so that the brain is basically using
only glucose.  If there is more recent data/info that galactose is in the
blood for longer periods of time so that the brain is indeed metabolizing a
lot of galactose I would be most interested to get the reference.  This
would help explain why milk and milk products have such a low Glycemic
Index (a measure of the rate of appearance of glucose in the blood
following a specified amount of various carbohydrate sources).  Thanks for
any help.

F.W. Thye
Department of Human Nutrition and Foods
233 Wallace Hall                                  Phone: 540-231-6620
Virginia Tech                                       FAX:    540-231-3916
Blacksburg, VA  24061-0430              E-mail: [log in to unmask]