It was Canada Day 2008. Just a very short 26 days ago. While normally an absurd reason to “employ” moronic traditions signifying the founding of a “nation state,” I chose, instead to celebrate a friends birthday with a load of other people…
We were outside in a different friends backyard until well after nightfall when I realized I hadn’t been bitten by a mosquito. Strange. I’d even been warned by the home owner, more than once that her backyard was notorious for the little critters. But no deal.
And it wasn’t until today that I started to wonder why that was. I caught a glimpse of a “news” report on TV this morning about mosquitos being attracted to a whole host of things. Carbon dioxide we breathe out, perfume, dark clothing, sweat, etc. But most appealing (apparently) is lactic acid in and on our bodys. Which got me thinking, and in turn looking for an answer.
Busting out ‘ol Wikipedia (what better source for reliable information is there than a free, internet encyclopedia contributed to by EVERYONE!?!?), oddly enough, failed to provide me any valuable insight. So I gave up. It did mention, however, that lactic acid is also known as “milk acid” though. Which sort of confirmed a suspicion it was somehow related to lactose.
I know, the body produces lactic acid as a result of activity. The cumulative build up of acid in the muscles following intense bouts of activity is what makes you sore. Not my point. My point, rather would not consuming any milk (extra lactic acid) make me–a likely target for mosquitos–somehow less attractive?
Could that premise be yet one more benefit of veganism? A valid question since the introduction of the West-Nile Virus to South-Central Ontario, me thinks…