The soy milk available in the residence hall dining areas is a safer alternative for some residents, as over 60 percent of adults worldwide do not have the ability to properly digest normal milk.

This inability, lactose intolerance, occurs when the enzyme lactase stops being produced. This usually occurs between the ages of two and five years old. The lactase enzyme is used to break up the main sugar in milk, lactose.

“I need to watch what I eat,” said Alex Bean, a junior biology major who has lactose intolerance. “It upsets my stomach but it isn’t painful, just uncomfortable.”

An article in USA Today mentioned a study that has attempted to understand why some segments of the world’s population have the ability to digest milk and others do not. Preliminary research indicated that 0 percent of Native Americans, 5 percent of Asians, 25 percent of Africans, 50 percent of Mediterraneans and 90 percent of Europeans produce lactase.

The University College of London has shown that the mutation that allows for the digestion of milk developed first in dairy farmers in Central Europe, and then the mutation spreads through many places around the world. This mutation likely developed as a survival gene that allowed these farmers to get the proper amount of nutrients.

“A single genetic change is strongly associated with lactase persistence and appears to have given people with it a big survival advantage,” said Mark Thomas of the University College of London, as he was quoted in USA Today.

NIU reaches out to students living in the residence halls who have any kind of food health issues.

“We meet on a one-on-one basis to determine how to handle any issues and provide alternatives,” said Ken Whitney, assistant director for residential dining. “The soy milk is gaining in popularity and we go through twice as much product as when we first brought it in.”

“Fortunately for me, being lactose intolerant isn’t a huge deal,” Bean said. “I’m able to eat what I want, just with smaller portions and less often.”

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.

• Your name:
• Enter text from image:
  

• Your comment:

* 300-character count. HTML formatting will not display.