Understanding Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance is an increasingly diagnosed characteristic of people with chronic stomach ailments. For those who do not suffer from lactose intolerance, it can seem to be a terrible affliction: no ice cream; no rich, creamy foods like pasta alfredo; no buttercream icing on cupcakes. However, food scientists are coming up with a variety of ways for a person with lactose intolerance to lead a close-to-normal lifestyle.

Lactose is the name for the particular sugar in milk or milk products. It is composed of glucose and galactose sugar molecules that must be split in order to be digested. In our bodies, lactase is the enzyme that does this splitting. For those with lactose intolerance, their lactase is deficient or does not function properly, whether due to genetics, problems with development, etc.

Because you do not necessarily have to be born with lactose intolerance, it can be helpful to know the symptoms of the issue so that you can recognize if you might be suffering from the same thing. Some symptoms of deficient lactase include:

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Passing gas

Bloating/distention

Nausea

This symptoms show because lactose travels undigested through your stomach and small intestine into the large intestine. The bacteria in the colon can usually split lactose into galactose and glucose, but it causes the production of gasses. If this does not get rid of all of your lactose, water is osmosed into the colon, leading to diarrhea.

Of course, there is a range of severity for lactose intolerance. Thus, there is a variety of ways by which a person with this disorder can treat his or her symptoms. The most obvious solution is to cut all lactose out of your diet completely. This can be tricky because a lot of rich foods contain large amounts of dairy products or butter. Luckily, however, most foodstuffs now contain allergy information on the label that will say that it contains milk.

Some people may only need to cut out the lactose-high products, such as milk, cottage cheese, and ice cream. If yours is severe, though, you might need to avoid milk products completely. Some lactose intolerant people say that consuming yogurt, specifically the kind that still contains the helpful bacteria, does not affect their system. This is because the bacteria may break down the lactose into its two separate molecules before consumption.

Thankfully, there are a number of products on the market today that mimic the taste of dairy items or eliminate lactose. You can buy lactose-free cow's milk, or use milk alternatives such as rice, almond, or soymilk. Additionally, cheese products can be made with soy rather than lactose-containing milk. Some thicker cheese items like cream cheese can be purchased as tofu-based, rather than dairy-based. Lastly, some people choose to take a lactase-containing pill. The enzyme in pill form can, once in your system, help break down the lactose that you choose to eat.

For more information on lactose intolerance and other health-related issues, check out the Health Directory today.