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I do not buy the conclusions in this video. For a couple of reasons. First off, anecdote. I myself am severely lactose intolerant, which I inherited genetica

I do not buy the conclusions in this video. For a couple of reasons. First off, anecdote. I myself am severely lactose intolerant, which I inherited genetically. I have lived in Italy and know Italians pretty well, and in my experience lactose intolerance is so unusual in Italy that people are often amazed to hear of my condition. Lactase (Lactaid etc.) is quite rare in the country, so much so that I usually bring in large quantities when I fly there. Granted, my experience is largely in the north, but I have also lived for quite some time in Rome. Italians eat a fair bit of high-lactose foods (cream; cappucino, young and soft cheeses, mmmm, squaquerone; certain pasta dishes; and of course gelato) and I have never seen a complaint, while I myself have to be careful around all of them. But second, as far as I understand it, the claim that Italians are lactose intolerant is not supported by current evidence. Studies in the 1980s in support of the hypothesis were largely based on self-diagnosis, which anyone who knows Italians ("Colpo D'aria") realizes is fraught with problems. It is my understanding that later and much better studies have suggested that lactose intolerance in Italy is far lower than suggested 40 years ago. http://italianthro.blogspot.com/2016/12/italians-arent-lactose-intolerant.html http://italianthro.blogspot.com/2016/12/italians-arent-lacto...

johnzim 6y ago
Colpo d’aria on its own is the example I give to anyone who wants to know why Italians can be so stubborn. People normally are astonished when I explain that that’s pretty much the only reason why air conditioners have historically been so thin on the ground in even the stifling heat of Roman summer.
jonsno56 6y ago
I’m gonna drop my $.02 in here because I am SEVERELY lactose intolerant and would like to discuss with someone else who is lactose intolerant. (This comment is unrelated to the video) I usually use 2-4 lactaid capsules when eating dairy and sometimes 8 when it’s some super cheesy pizza or something. I live in the United States. I visited Italy last year, and I ate a lot of ice cream, cheesy pastas, and pizzas without any problems. Same with my father and uncle who are lactose intolerant. Do you know if there’s anything different about Italian dairy vs American dairy? I recognize my experience is super anecdotal, but it’s quite funny as my uncle, my father, and I got cocky about our ability to eat US dairy after coming home from Italy and immediately regretted it! So yeah, we’re definitely lactose intolerant Here’s also this silly link I just got off of google: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/living-with-lactose-intolerance-in-italy-vs-the-united-states.html https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/living-with-lactose-intole...
- viewconstrued 6y ago
  This is enlightening. I didn't know you could take more than 2 lactaid capsules to increase effectiveness. I am also severely lactose intolerant and never took more than two assuming that they each pill was so packed full of lactase that it wouldn't help. This has resulted in me basically never eating dairy because 1 pill rarely helps. But as to your question, from what I understand, preparation can have a great effect on amount of lactose so the traditional Italian methods likely prepare cheeses in a way that reduces lactose.
  - SeanLuke 6y ago
    Italian methods for cheesemaking are nearly identical to US methods (including, in most cases, pasteurization). I can't think of any cheese preparation differences that would have the slightest effect on lactose. It is the case that Italians eat more sheep milk cheese (pecorino) than Americans, and sheep milk has a bit less lactose. And Italians also eat more aged cheeses. But I don't think this is nearly enough to explain any differences you may have seen.
- mpol 6y ago
  Some differences that might play a role, but I have no real idea. In the Netherlands cheap supermarket pizzas often have more fake cheese than real cheese. I can imagine that might mean less lactose, but maybe something in the fake cheese is giving you problems. In the Netherlands most milk is pasteurized. I can imagine this is the case in the US too. In the Netherlands there is a special protected branding of cheese that is not pasteurized (boerenkaas). Pasteurizing milk reduces the calcium level. I can imagine Italians might prefer using unpasteurized milk products more than people in other countries.
tauist 6y ago
I'm Italian and yes most Italians don't know what lactose intollerance is but when I went vegan (for the animals) I suggested veg milk to people and you will be surprised by how many of them felt better, they didn't know they are lactose intollerant and many of them didn't even realized they had a problem. Who could imagine a headache can be caused by milk?
- SeanLuke 6y ago
  It's completely legitimate to go vegan for animal rights reasons. But lactose intolerance does not, and cannot, cause headaches. It is a specific disorder affecting the lower intestine and causes diarrhea and gas pain. I am afraid that your posting may be describing some other disorder (or it may be effectively another example of colpo d'aria). *Edit: for those of you who don't know, colpo d'aria is a made-up disease used by Italian mothers to explain why their kids have to be bundled up ridiculously in order to go out in the cold: the closest term in English would be "catching your death". Italians are extraordinarily superstitious and hyperchondriacal about diseases and disorders. Frauds run rampant and homeopathy is openly advertised in drug stores as if it's real.
- mpol 6y ago
  Headache from milk can come from the Vitamine A. You do need to drink about 2L of milk a day. I know this anecdotally, I head lots of headaches around the age of 21 :)

johnzim 6y ago

Colpo d’aria on its own is the example I give to anyone who wants to know why Italians can be so stubborn. People normally are astonished when I explain that that’s pretty much the only reason why air conditioners have historically been so thin on the ground in even the stifling heat of Roman summer.

jonsno56 6y ago

I’m gonna drop my $.02 in here because I am SEVERELY lactose intolerant and would like to discuss with someone else who is lactose intolerant. (This comment is unrelated to the video) I usually use 2-4 lactaid capsules when eating dairy and sometimes 8 when it’s some super cheesy pizza or something. I live in the United States. I visited Italy last year, and I ate a lot of ice cream, cheesy pastas, and pizzas without any problems. Same with my father and uncle who are lactose intolerant. Do you know if there’s anything different about Italian dairy vs American dairy? I recognize my experience is super anecdotal, but it’s quite funny as my uncle, my father, and I got cocky about our ability to eat US dairy after coming home from Italy and immediately regretted it! So yeah, we’re definitely lactose intolerant Here’s also this silly link I just got off of google: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/living-with-lactose-intolerance-in-italy-vs-the-united-states.html https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/living-with-lactose-intole...

viewconstrued 6y ago
This is enlightening. I didn't know you could take more than 2 lactaid capsules to increase effectiveness. I am also severely lactose intolerant and never took more than two assuming that they each pill was so packed full of lactase that it wouldn't help. This has resulted in me basically never eating dairy because 1 pill rarely helps. But as to your question, from what I understand, preparation can have a great effect on amount of lactose so the traditional Italian methods likely prepare cheeses in a way that reduces lactose.
- SeanLuke 6y ago
  Italian methods for cheesemaking are nearly identical to US methods (including, in most cases, pasteurization). I can't think of any cheese preparation differences that would have the slightest effect on lactose. It is the case that Italians eat more sheep milk cheese (pecorino) than Americans, and sheep milk has a bit less lactose. And Italians also eat more aged cheeses. But I don't think this is nearly enough to explain any differences you may have seen.
mpol 6y ago
Some differences that might play a role, but I have no real idea. In the Netherlands cheap supermarket pizzas often have more fake cheese than real cheese. I can imagine that might mean less lactose, but maybe something in the fake cheese is giving you problems. In the Netherlands most milk is pasteurized. I can imagine this is the case in the US too. In the Netherlands there is a special protected branding of cheese that is not pasteurized (boerenkaas). Pasteurizing milk reduces the calcium level. I can imagine Italians might prefer using unpasteurized milk products more than people in other countries.

tauist 6y ago

I'm Italian and yes most Italians don't know what lactose intollerance is but when I went vegan (for the animals) I suggested veg milk to people and you will be surprised by how many of them felt better, they didn't know they are lactose intollerant and many of them didn't even realized they had a problem. Who could imagine a headache can be caused by milk?

SeanLuke 6y ago
It's completely legitimate to go vegan for animal rights reasons. But lactose intolerance does not, and cannot, cause headaches. It is a specific disorder affecting the lower intestine and causes diarrhea and gas pain. I am afraid that your posting may be describing some other disorder (or it may be effectively another example of colpo d'aria). *Edit: for those of you who don't know, colpo d'aria is a made-up disease used by Italian mothers to explain why their kids have to be bundled up ridiculously in order to go out in the cold: the closest term in English would be "catching your death". Italians are extraordinarily superstitious and hyperchondriacal about diseases and disorders. Frauds run rampant and homeopathy is openly advertised in drug stores as if it's real.
mpol 6y ago
Headache from milk can come from the Vitamine A. You do need to drink about 2L of milk a day. I know this anecdotally, I head lots of headaches around the age of 21 :)