Why is it a bad idea to feed milk to adult mammals? Unlike the babies they lack tolerance for digesting lactose. How do humans address/deal with this issue?
As cats grow older and drink less milk, they start to produce less lactase. If they had not been drinking milk, the adult cat does not produce the necessary enzyme, lactase, to break down the lactose.
Since animals lose their ability to digest lactose after they stop feeding from their mothers, feeding adult cats with milk will result in diarrhea and other digestion problems. Their bodies no longer produce lactase, which breaks down the lactose. Without it, the sugar is too large for the body to absorb and goes straight for the bacteria living in the colon.
Interesting how the simple yet vital trait of lactase persistence is only in 1/3 of the population and it's amazing to think that this trait came to be widespread through natural selection.
It is bad to feed milk to adult cats because they loose their ability to digest lactose as they become adults and stop drinking milk.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it a bad idea to feed milk to adult mammals?
ReplyDeleteUnlike the babies they lack tolerance for digesting lactose. How do humans address/deal with this issue?
As cats grow older and drink less milk, they start to produce less lactase. If they had not been drinking milk, the adult cat does not produce the necessary enzyme, lactase, to break down the lactose.
ReplyDeleteI never knew that cats should not drink milk because they do not have lactase and so they cannot digest lactose.
ReplyDeleteSo if all adult mammals can't drink milk what is the story with humans.
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ReplyDeleteSince animals lose their ability to digest lactose after they stop feeding from their mothers, feeding adult cats with milk will result in diarrhea and other digestion problems. Their bodies no longer produce lactase, which breaks down the lactose. Without it, the sugar is too large for the body to absorb and goes straight for the bacteria living in the colon.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf the mutation for lactose persistence has a 5% advantage, why is there only a third of the human population lactose tolerant?
ReplyDeleteInteresting how the simple yet vital trait of lactase persistence is only in 1/3 of the population and it's amazing to think that this trait came to be widespread through natural selection.
ReplyDelete