How to Live With Lactose Intolerance08 Nov
Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder which can cause problems, till it is diagnosed
Lactose intolerance basically refers to a disorder which many people suffer from where they cannot have many milk or dairy products. There is a large percentage of population which has this disorder. Fortunately in advanced countries there are enough products available for those are lactose intolerant and all the dietary information is available on the labels of foods.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance occurs when the body lacks lactase which helps in the digesting on milk and milk products. It may not produce lactase at all or it may produce less lactase and cannot digest the milk sugar (lactose).
Sometimes babies are born with the inability to digest milk. Sometimes people develop lactose intolerance as they grow older. Sometimes this may happen in childhood and other times it may happen in adults.
The types of lactose intolerance
Basically lactose intolerance is only of one type, but there are some people who can digest certain types of dairy while can tolerate no dairy altogether. However, there is a lactose allergy which can be mistaken for lactose intolerance – a person who is allergic can even die if he or she has any product with dairy.
And then there are people who are allergic only to particular types or quantities of dairy products. There are people who can tolerate yoghurt for instance. Or who can have butter, but not a glass of milk. Some people can have goat’s milk and cheese made from that milk, like feta or aged cheeses which have less lactase, but this depends on the individual’s ability to digest the dairy without any problem. Basically a person who is lactose intolerant will just have to experiment and see.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Symptoms of lactose intolerance are nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea, which can begin a short time after having any dairy. Of course these symptoms can occur due to other conditions (like GERD) or digestive disorders, but if you notice that every time you have some dairy you are having these symptoms but not otherwise, you can conclude that you are lactose intolerant.
Your doctor will ask you to get some investigations done to diagnose lactose intolerance. These tests may include the lactose tolerance test, the hydrogen breath test and the stool acidity test. Once your diagnosis confirmed the doctor will tell which foods to avoid and which you can safely have.
Treatment
There are two kinds of treatment for this. One is dietary restriction. There are some foods you should avoid and these include:
- butter and most margarines (contain whey, casein, or lactose)
- chip dip
- baked items, including bread, doughnuts and muffins which may contain milk or butter
- cream sauces
- cheese in all forms
- ice cream and some gelato and sherbet
- most chocolate (read the list of ingredients, you just may get diary free chocolate)
- whey protein powder
- non-dairy coffee creamer (casein)
- some mayonnaises, mustards, and other condiments
- canned chicken broth often contains whey, so things with chicken broth should be avoided by those with allergy (canned tuna, for example)
- instant potatoes, soups and breakfast drinks
- lunch meats (other than kosher)
- candies and other snacks
- mixes for pancakes, biscuits, cookies, etc.
- processed breakfast cereals
- curries (may contain yoghurt, milk or whey)
- mixes for pancakes, biscuits, cookies
You can have other foods and you can also get lactose reduced milk and have it if you can tolerate it. Or you have to switch to non-dairy milk like soy milk and even dairy free ice cream. Alternatively if you cannot avoid all milk products you can have a tablet like LactAid or Lactase or you can get in a liquid to help you digest the dairy products that you have ingested.
Complications
The complications of being lactose intolerant are that you will not be able to get a sufficient amount of calcium in your diet, so you may be at increased risk for osteoporosis, malnutrition and weight loss. Talk to your doctor about taking a suitable calcium supplement.
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