Racial bias in federal nutrition policy, part I: The public health implications of variations in lactase persistence

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans form the basis For all federal nutriti on programs and incorporate the Food Guide Pyramid, a tool to educate consu mers on putting the Guidelines into practice. The Pyramid recommends two to three daily servings of dairy products. However, research has shown that l actase nonpersistence, the loss of enzymes that digest the milk sugar lacto se, occurs in a majority of African-, Asian-, Hispanic-, and Native-America n individuals. Whites are less likely to develop lactase nonpersistence and less likely to have symptoms when it does occur. Calcium is available in o ther foods that do not contain lactose. Osteoporosis is less common among A frican Americans and Mexican Americans than among whites, and there is litt le evidence that dairy products have an effect on osteoporosis among racial minorities. Evidence suggests that a modification of federal nutrition pol icies, making dairy-product use optional in light of other calcium sources, may be a helpful public health measure.