By age 20, approximately 30 million Americans have some sort of lactose intolerance.
This condition of the digestive system occurs when people have difficulty digesting lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products.
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea. These occur within 30 minutes to two hours after eating dairy products, and the severity varies from mild to severe.
What Causes Lactose Intolerance?
Enzymes in the digestive system break down food molecules into smaller components that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Lactose is broken down by an enzyme called lactase that is produced by the small intestine.
When the small intestines do not produce enough lactase, undigested lactose causes extra water to collect in the small intestine, which leads to loose stools. Bacteria in the large intestine also produce hydrogen gas as they break down the lactose there–which leads to cramping and diarrhea.
Up to 20% of Americans think they are lactose intolerant.
Most people are born with the ability to digest milk. As we age, the amount of lactase produced by the body decreases. Lactose intolerance usually begins during the teenage years or adulthood, when the amount of lactase has decreased enough to cause symptoms.
Lactose is found in the milk of most mammals, with the exception of fur seals, sea lions and walruses.
How Can I Tell If I Have Lactose Intolerance?
- Keep a food diary to monitor which foods you eat, and when your symptoms occur.
- Use an elimination diet. Stop eating all dairy products, and then add them back slowly. Monitor when symptoms occur.
- Consult your doctor. Other tests are available to diagnose lactose intolerance–such as a hydrogen breath test, lactose tolerance test and stool acidity test (for children).
What Can I Do About Lactose Intolerance?
There is no cure for lactose intolerance, but you can learn to live with it by modifying your diet. Work with your doctor and a registered dietician to develop a plan for a healthy diet.
This should limit your intake of lactose, but still provide you with the essential nutrients common to dairy products–such as calcium. Many people can continue to eat small amounts of dairy products without having an adverse reaction.
Special food products are available to help you cope with lactose intolerance. Tablets or caplets of lactase, taken with the first bite of dairy products, can help you digest lactose. Some milk and other dairy products have reduced lactose, or lactase added.
Dairy-free soy or rice products can serve as milk alternatives. Be sure to read food labels. Lactose is also found in ingredients such as whey, milk by-products and nougat.
Calcium Content of Foods
- Whole milk (8 ounces): 291 milligrams
- Yogurt (8 ounces): 274 milligrams
- Canned sardines (4 ounces): 242 milligrams
- Cheddar cheese (1 ounce): 204 milligrams
- Artichoke (1 medium): 135 milligrams
- Collards (1/2 cup): 110 milligrams
Resources
- Coralie M. Reich and John P.Y. Arnould, “Evolution of Pinnipedia lactation strategies: a potential role for α-lactalbumin?” Biology Letters 3(2007): 546–9.
- “Got milk? No Thanks!” Harvard Health Letter, December 2003. Accessed November 16, 2011.
- Harvard University Health Services. “Calcium Content of Common Foods in Common Portions.” Accessed November 16, 2011. http://huhs.harvard.edu/assets/File/OurServices/Service_Nutrition_CalciumContentOfCommonFoods.pdf
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Lactose Intolerance.” Accessed November 16, 2011. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000276.htm
- WebMD. “Could You Have Lactose Intolerance?” Accessed November 16, 2011. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/lactose-intolerance-10/diagnosing
- WebMD: “Lactose Intolerance–Topic Overview.” a http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/lactose-intolerance-topic-overview
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Originally published on Healthism
