You might have irritable bowl syndrome, you might have crohn's disease, or you might just be lactose intolerant. What are your symptoms? Do you have frequent gas, bloating, diarrhea; are you often sick to your stomach? It's not something you can necessarily diagnose on your own. While these symptoms may, in fact, be part of a larger problem, they may also just be symptoms that you can easily cure yourself through a little bit of learning.
If it turns out that you are lactose intolerant, what can you do and what does it mean? It means that your body does not have the required enzymes present to break down the sugars found in milk products. Essentially, your body can't digest the sugar found in milk products known as lactose. The enzyme responsible for the breakdown of this sugar is called lactase, and if you have difficulty with lacotse, it's probably due to the fact that you don't have enough of this enzyme to properly break down the amounts of lactose in your diet.
Lactase is primarily made in the small intestine; manufactured by the cells in the small intestine lining. It is responsible for taking lactose and breaking it down into two simple sugars called galactose and glucose. Why does it need to be broken down? Simply because it can't be absorbed as it; it must be broken down to small enough particles in order to be properly absorbed into the blood.
When does lactose intolerance first start to develop? Typically, once the production of lactase in the body starts slowing down, a slight intolerance can begin to develop. This can occur as early as the toddler years. While this process has begun at an early age, many people may not start suffering the consequences until well into their teenage years and beyond.
The origins of lactose intolerance are numerous and include injury or sickness, certain diseases such as celiac disease and cancers; treatments of these diseases like chemotherapy, or even injuries. In fact, it is even something that can be passed down through the generations in your genes.
Usually, people with this problem develop symptoms shortly after ingesting foods containing milk. Feelings of pain and discomfort may begin as quickly as a half hour after eating, or as slowly as several hours later. It also depends on how much lactose-containing food the person ate and to what degree they are intolerant. They may experience any of the following things: pain, nausea, discomfort, diarrhea, bloating, gas. Of course, exactly what occurs will be different for each individual, depending on their body.
Controlling and minimizing the effects of your intolerance can be accomplished with a few easy adjustments. Perhaps less of the offending foods can be consumed. Some minor changes to your diet may be necessary to ease your symptoms. You can try to eat milk products with other food at meals. This may help to lessen the severity of your reaction. Another strategy is to consume foods which contain lower amounts of lactose. You can also try incorporating lactose free foods into your diet.
If you are still having trouble with milk products even after trying all of the above, you may want to try taking a lactase enzyme pill. These can easily be found in most stores and drug stores and are over-the-counter. In general, you would take the pill immediately prior to eating the offending food. If this tactic is not effective for you, then you may need to try more drastic measures. Eliminating dairy products from your diet may be the next step.
Just remember that you do still need calcium in order to repair bones and tissue and to keep your bones strong. So, in order to avoid osteoporosis and other issues down the road, make sure to get plenty of calcium and calcium rich foods in your diet.
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