lactic acid was Re: Yogurt Question

[Guest guest]

> Now I'm confused...

>

> http://www.rwood.com/Questions/q_aug_01_2001.htm

>

> says that kefir has mostly " right-turning " lactic acid, and that

> " left-turning " is potentially harmful.

>

> To quote: " Even compared to a non-pasteurized yogurt (most yogurts

are heat-treated for increased shelf life), kefir is superior because

of the directin its lactic acid bacteria turn. Kefir contains

primarily right-turning lactic acid (R-TLA) whereas yogurt's lactic

acid primarily turns left (L-TLA). According to the United Nations

Food and Agricultural> Organization, adults should limit their

consumption of L-TLA and babies and> toddlers should avoid it

altogether because L-TLA can cause acidosis and upset the body's

mineral balance and metabolism.

Well, I'm totally confused and I'm going to email that website.

L-TLA - that's a weird way to say it. Why not just L-lactate?

The whole subject is more complicated and with less ready info than I

expected. It's apparently the L kind we make, but there's some data

that suggests we might be able to use the D kind too. Weird, I had no

idea about this, that bacteria might be making a different kind from

what we make. I did see some papers discussing possible problems from

too mcuh of the D type in certain situations, but I couldn't read

enough to understand the whole issue. If I can get more info I'll

post it.

(It's not true that only the L form of molecules are natural. We use

L amino acids, but we use D glucose. So it depends on the specific

type of molecule.)

martha