Could it be that the positive effect of decreased sugar intake has little to do with the lactose concentration of the milk, but that it affects the mother's gut flora? Could this whole situation be explained by changes in the gut flora of the mother? I have a friend who had a baby with problems of eczema. Her homeopath advised her to cut out all forms of sugar from her diet. It helped very well to clear the problem. We all learn that allergy is not caused by sugar, but by proteins. Jet, it helped baby get rid of his allergy. I know of another mother who claims her child is allergic to sugar. Wouldn't it be logic to think that the sugar intake has a major impact on the gut flora, and the gut flora in turn is important in fencing off allergens in the gut? Isn't sugar intake directly related to leaky gut? What do you think about this? Karin de Graaf IBCLC www.borstvoedinghulp.nl -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Namens Renata Oliveira Mangrum Verzonden: donderdag 30 juli 2009 18:15 Aan: [log in to unmask] Onderwerp: Re: Diet and Lactose content I am not challenging the fact that reducing the sugar in the diet helped relieve the symptoms, but the conclusion that the sugar is producing the lactose in breastmilk is a big stretch. Something else was going on, but it is NOT lactose intolerance. Not all sugars are the same. Lactose is made from galactose and glucose. Fruit juices contain primarily fructose. Cane, beets and corn are primarily fructose and glucose. And then there are the complex carbs in things like wheat and rice that are made with chains and chains of glucose. My biochemistry may be a bit rusty, but it is my understanding that as even simple sugars get broken down to bits and for the most part get metabolized like starches, etc. It probably wouldn't matter what you had eaten, as your body would rebuild the lactose itself. There are several things that can mimic the lactose intolerance symptoms. It's just that the mechanism of lactose intolerance is better understood. One person I know has the exact same reaction with scrambled eggs (with no milk or anything else added) as he does with lactose, but NO problem with hard boiled eggs. Another person has the same reaction with onions (except onion powder). One friend says that he likes apple juice, but apple juice doesn't like him :-) We often like to put a label on a condition because we think it will explain things better and provide better treatment. I read the Heath E-Learning article's recommendations to reduce sugars, but I think the recommendations were based on confounding symptoms and factors. The authors labeled the symptoms Lactose overload, but it could have been something else, and I think the authors failed to realize that (or to make that point clear). So then, the evidence surrounding lactose isn't the fundamental evidence that should be challenged. It is not an either/or situation. What we need to do is look at what we know and build upon it, not come up with the wrong conclusions about those studies according to our experiences. (For the record, my mother was advised to stop breastfeeding me because they thought I had lactose intolerance. Soy formula constipated me and by three months of age, the only thing that seemed to work (because she no longer had breastmilk to give) was straight cow's milk. There was no such thing as lactose-free cow's milk back then.) Renata Mangrum, MPH, RD, CLT. http://nurturingnotes.blogspot.com http://infantfeedinghistory.blogspot.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/renatamangrum On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 8:03 AM, Susan Burger <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Dear all: > > I was surprised to find a fundamental well-researched fact challenged on > Lactnet. Lactose > content does NOT change with diet. It is the same regardless of the sugar > in your diet. You > cannot reduce lactose by reducing the sugar in your diet. It may, however, > have some > health benefits. > > Best, Susan BUrger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC > > *********************************************** > > Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html > To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] > Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] > COMMANDS: > 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set > lactnet nomail > 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail > 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet > 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome > *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.35/2271 - Release Date: 07/29/09 18:07:00 *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome