P. Bertron et al., Racial bias in federal nutrition policy, part I: The public health implications of variations in lactase persistence, J NAT MED A, 91(3), 1999, pp. 151-157
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.