If you don’t have lactose intolerance yourself, you almost certainly know someone who does. But, have you ever wondered what really is it? Are you born with it, or do you get it over time? Is it possible to treat it? This article will answer these questions and guide you through everything you need to know.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is a common condition that is believed to affect more than two thirds of the entire world’s population. It happens when a person’s body cannot fully digest lactose, which is a type of sugar found in milk and many other dairy products. The intolerance happens due to a lack of lactase in your digestive system (an enzyme that helps break down the lactose sugar). Around 30 million American adults are expected to have lactose intolerance.
Differently to what some people think, lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy. Although it brings uncomfortable symptoms, such as bloating and diarrhea, it does not cause an allergic reaction and is, therefore, not as dangerous.
What causes it?
Unfortunately, lactose intolerance can be developed at any stage of life, but it most commonly happens during the teenage years or adulthood.
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There are several ways in which a person may develop lactose intolerance. The most common way is it simply happening over time – meaning that your body is ageing and naturally producing less lactase. This is particularly likely for those who already don’t eat a lot of dairy products. Dairy products can be good or bad depending on your dietary needs, but they can obviously be problematic for people with lactose intolerance.
In other cases, a person may develop secondary lactose intolerance due to certain injuries or illnesses. Surprisingly, the most rare way to get it is being born with little or no lactase, which is a condition that can be inherited.
Symptoms and their management
The symptoms of lactose intolerance can vary from person to person, depending on your individual level of lactase deficiency. The most typical symptoms include bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, and cramping. Some people may also experience fatigue or nausea too.
These symptoms typically appear within a few hours of consuming lactose-containing foods or drinks. Luckily, there are certain ways to can alleviate lactose intolerance symptoms.
The best way to do this is, of course, changing your diet. This means reducing or completely eliminating any foods that contain milk products or lactose specifically. Milk, yoghurt, whipped cream, butter, certain cheeses, cookies, and cakes all usually contain lactose. However, this is something that you will need to test and trial, as some individuals are absolutely fine eating certain dairy products, like hard cheeses, which contain less lactose.
Sustaining a lactose-free diet is a lot easier today, with many vegan or dairy-free options available. For instance, oat or soy milk are popular alternatives to use in your cereal or coffee. You can also find lactose-free dairy products which are made from the real milk, but are processes to remove the lactose elements from them.
However, if you simply cannot let go of your favourite dairy snack, then you may also use one of the lactase supplements available over-the-counter. These supplements provide you with the lactase enzyme that you are lacking, in order to help you digest the lactose when taken just before or right after consuming dairy products.
Conclusion
There are many myths surrounding lactose intolerance and how to manage it. We hope this article has answered some of the questions or concerns you may have had!