Now I feel old ... bottle tops

Well the manufacturers call it that. It's some form of oil taken from oats in a suspension of water. It will come as no surprise to you that it tastes of porridge. (As an aside, I was tickled pink to see squirrel meat on an exotic meats website described as "nutty" ...).

I went through a brief phase of trying to dial down the lactose on a vague suggestion that ones ability to deal with lactose decreases with age. (Of course any ability to deal with lactose after weaning is abnormal). Hence trying non-dairy "milks". I did go through a phase of hemp milk, which is pleasant enough. But after some supply issues at Sainsbos and trying other non dairy milks, I settled on oat.

Can't say I have noticed any health effects - but then I still have cheese and use regular milk in sauces.

There are several designs "Oatley" use which suggests different factories. The one I have now is the worst, it's a flip top that breaks a seal as you open it, and then only closes properly 1% of the time. Meaning you need to remember to check it *before* shaking.

Hmmm, will have to look this up. My understanding was that if you give up drinking milk before adulthood, you lose the ability to produce lactase, the necessary enzyme. Otherwise just carry on drinking milk.

The European parliament only has a power of veto. It cannot initiate any legislation.

This one:

I don't think they grow their own sunflowers or mine their own salt, sadly.

Meanwhile the local dairy (Cambs) gets its cow milk from Gloucestershire.

Theo

Might grow sunflowers.

I've seen it mentioned in many places that the ability to digest lactose (presumably to produce lactase) is more or less common in different ethnic groups: apparently Japanese people generally are more lactose-intolerant than many European and American people. I wonder if it applies to other Asian people - eg in China.

Ah yes:

Not to *produce* lactase. Your body produces lactase (the enzyme) thus allowing you to digest lactose. "This enzyme cleaves the lactose molecule into its two subunits, the simple sugars glucose and galactose, which can be absorbed." - from Winky.

Look up Lactose in WInky for all the gory details.

Many South Americans are lactose-intolerant. It isn't just an inability to digest lactose, it actually causes temporary illness. But strangely, not all the time, and not in everybody. I know a Peruvian lady who has it, her sister doesn't.

That you don't digest it, means that it's still there in the gut and is then food for certain buggliwigs further on. These produce gas and can cause diarrhoea, all of which is a small bit unpleasant. I wouldn't call that illness,

Yes, when I said "the ability to digest lactose (presumably to produce lactase)" I was referring to the body's ability (or inability) to produce lactase.

It came as quite a surprise to learn that it is genetic as well as random. My wife is sensitive to cow's milk, as so are her mother and her sisters. She's affected by one constituent of milk (milk proteins) and her mum is affected by another (milk sugars such as lactose) - or maybe I've got that the wrong way round. I know her mum can take tablets which temporarily stop the bad effects to allow her to eat some with milk in it, and my wife can't.

I have occasionally had her soya or oat milk on my breakfast cereal if I've run out of semi-skimmed cow's milk, and it's close but no cigar.

I'm lucky that I don't seem to have any food allergies or intolerances. OK, I loathe and detest vegetables (certainly boiled or steamed stem/green veg; roasted carrots or parsnips are lovely) but that is a matter of taste and preference and they don't do nasty things to me - their overpowering taste just spoils a meal for me unless I eat them first to get them out of the way. Interestingly, my sense of taste for vegetables has increased dramatically and for meat has decreased ever since I had a heart attack ten years ago. An analogy is the delicate sound of birdsong (the meat) which I can hear perfectly well, unless it is drowned out by the clatter of a pneumatic drill (the veg).

Early man probably survived on a diet of fish, meat and fruit, Cereals and vegetables were slave foods. Or foods to eat to stop you starving. Or feed to the cattle.

Other gadgets are available. I know 'cos we have a drawer full.

There are degrees, I believe.

Generally the ability for *adults* to deal with milk is a genetic "abnormality" in Europeans. Specifically North Western Europeans. The ever fragrant Prof. Alice Roberts suggested in a lecture I attended, that it could be due to an enforced reduction in population around about the ice age that saw survival by continuing to drink milk. The ability tends to fade the further south and east you go. Which is why a lot of cultures have to pre-process milk in order to use it. Yoghurts and cheeses.

All of which being said, there are studies that over time the human gut "wears down" and one of the early casualties is digesting milk.

Since a litre can last me a week, I'm not that bothered. Or affected.

SWMBO having MS has exposed us to 3 decades of nutritional research into everything. Also after my Mother became incapable, my brother quietly cured her diabetes with diet. Which caused no end of problems when she was admitted to hospital towards the end and the doctors managed to recover it.

Coconut milk is s**te, as is hazelnut milk. And don't get me started on almond milk.

I like a nice goats milk cheese :)

Dont we all?

In message <v8agog$4teu$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Jethro_uk <jethro snipped-for-privacy@hotmailbin.com writes

Most artificial milks are thin and lack body. However, Alpro dark chocolate flavoured almond milk is almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and is delicious. Unfortunately, a couple of years ago it suddenly disappeared from the shelves, and hasn't returned.

Yes, like I said, it debates, amends and passes laws, so has power.

It's a form of representative governance. You could argue, quite successfully, that it's not your ideal type, of course. But it is still by any definition democratic.

Like the house of lords. But it cant stand in the way of the commission and it cant initiate laws. Why are you defending it? Its rubbish.

No it isn't. Its like having an elected house of Lords with a self elected commons.

No, and I'm sure you know no.

I'm not defending anything - simply stating fact.

Which in itself cold be seen as democratic.

"The Parliament also became more assertive in amending legislative proposals put forward by the European Commission. A notable example was on the Bolkestein directive in 2006, when the Parliament voted by a large majority for over 400 amendments that changed the fundamental principle of the law."

If you read the bit starting "Legislative Procedure' you should get the gist: