Milk consumption, lactose and copper in the aetiology of ischaemic heart disease

doi:10.1016/0306-9877(88)90025-4

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 25, Issue 2, February 1988, Pages 99-101

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-9877(88)90025-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

Milk is a poor source of copper — a nutrient which is known to be limiting or marginal in many western diets. Lactose (a major nutritional constituent of milk) may interfere with copper utilization in milk and in the overall diet. It is postulated that the strong association between the consumption of milk and dairy products (especially fresh milk and non-fermented milk products) and the incidence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) indicates a central role for a dietary copper deficiency in the aetiology of this disease.

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Cited by (7)

Effects of dietary carbohydrate intake on antioxidant enzyme activity and copper status in the copper-deficient streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rat
1995, The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
The aim of this study was to investigate how dietary lactose, compared with sucrose, in association with copper deficiency influences the antioxidant and copper status in the diabetic rat. Two groups of male rats (n = 12) were fed copper-deficient diets containing either 300 g/kg of sucrose or 300 g/kg of lactose in a pair-feeding regime for 35 days. Six rats from each group were injected with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. After a further 16 days the animals were killed and the liver, heart, and kidney removed for the measurement of copper levels and the activities of antioxidant and related enzymes. Diabetes resulted in higher hepatic and renal copper levels compared with controls. The copper content of the heart and kidney in diabetic rats consuming sucrose was also significantly higher than in those consuming lactose. Catalase activity in the liver, heart, and kidney was significantly increased in diabetic rats compared with controls. Hepatic glutathione S-transferase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and cardiac copper zinc superoxide dismutase activities were also higher in diabetes. Sucrose, compared with lactose feeding, resulted in higher cytochrome c oxidase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the kidney while glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was lower. The combination of lactose feeding and diabetes resulted in significantly higher activities of cardiac managanese superoxide dismutase and catalase and renal manganese superoxide dismutase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. These results suggest that sucrose consumption compared with lactose appears to be associated with increased organ copper content and in general decreased antioxidant enzyme activities in copper-deficient diabetic rats.
Intestinal absorption of copper: Influence of carbohydrates
1992, Biochemical Medicine and Metabolic Biology
Macronutrients can modulate the intestinal absorption of trace elements by binding the metal or altering mucosal function. We investigated whether certain simple and complex carbohydrates modify copper (Cu) absorption, using an in vivo perfusion technique in the rat. Corn syrup solids, which contain a mixture of glucose polymers of diverse length, added at either 20 or 50 mosm/kg enhanced Cu absorption from a 31.5 μm (2 mg/liter) Cu solution (128 ± 11 and 130 ± 11 pmol/min × cm, respectively, vs 101 ± 4 pmol/min × cm, P < 0.05, in the absence of carbohydrate). This was concomitant with a stimulation of net water absorption (1.05 ± 0.08 and 0.84 ± 0.08 μl/min × cm, respectively, vs 0.63 ± 0.02 μl/min × cm with no carbohydrate, P < 0.05). Glucose, fructose, lactose, or sucrose had no influence on Cu absorption, although they altered water exchanges, an effect attributable to a reduction of the outflow component of fluid recirculation. Low concentrations of lactose resulted in a greater accumulation of Cu in the intestinal mucosa (8.75 ± 0.71 μg/g vs 5.77 ± 0.68 μg/g for controls, P < 0.05). Hence, solutes that moderately stimulate mucosa-toserosa fluid influx in a progressive manner, such as glucose polymers, may contribute to functionally increase Cu absorption. Conversely, conditions which tend to reduce water inflow or increase water outflow across the small intestinal mucosa, as may occur with high lactose diets or in cases of chronic diarrhea, may have negative effects.
Milk Minerals, Trace Elements, and Macroelements
2013, Milk and Dairy Products in Human Nutrition: Production, Composition and Health
Adult-type hypolactasia is not a predisposing factor for the early functional and structural changes of atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study
2008, Clinical Science
Commentary: Lactose and ischaemic heart disease: A sweet hypothesis ... but nothing more!
2008, International Journal of Epidemiology
Copper deficiency in rats: The effect of type of dietary protein
1993, Journal of the American College of Nutrition

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Milk consumption, lactose and copper in the aetiology of ischaemic heart disease

Abstract

Medical Hypotheses

Medical Hypotheses

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Progress in Lipid Research

Research in Veterinary Science

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Diet-related diseases of the arteries in Diet-Related Diseases: The modern epidemic

Hypothesis: Is lactose a dietary risk factor of ischaemic heart disease?

International Journal of Epidemiology

Dietary standards