Interesting article about Europeans and Lactase

[Mr. PC]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/20 ... ance_N.htm

I'm thinking though, the mutation causing Europeans to digest milk doesn't help us with the peptides and calcium overdose, so something's not sitting right with me there. Have we partially evolved to digest it, but maybe in another 10 000 years we'll be totally fine drinking it?

[RRM]

the mutation causing Europeans to digest milk doesn't help us with the peptides and calcium overdose, so something's not sitting right with me there. Have we partially evolved to digest it, but maybe in another 10 000 years we'll be totally fine drinking it?

If too little natural foods are available, it helps to be able to utilize lactose, and thus improves survival and reproduction rates.
Opioid peptides do not negatively affect these rates (at least not in our modern society),
so that there is no 'evolutionary reason' to overcome the effects of opioid peptides.
The same is true for excess calcium eventually causing osteoporosis;
by the time you get osteoporosis, one is old already, so that reproduction rates are not negatively affected at all.
So, regarding evolution, there is no need/stimulus to become 'totally fine drinking it'.
Thats why it has not already happened yet. (as opposed to lactose utilization)

The part about vitamin D has been moved to the vitamin D thread.