Lactose Intolerance
Dairy foods are still a part of a nutritionally balanced diet for most people but there are others who would limit the consumption. Have you met anyone who does not drink milk or consume dairy products and claims to have an “allergy” to them? While many people improve their calcium intake by consuming dairy foods, there are others who may find this tough. These people are not really allergic to milk, but they could be lactose intolerant.
What is Lactose Intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is a condition in which the body is unable to digest lactose, the sugar present in milk and dairy products due to lactase deficiency. Lactase is an enzyme required for the breakdown of lactose during digestion. When lactase is missing or not enough, lactose remains undigested. Microbes in the large intestine act on the undigested lactose causing them to ferment. This leads to gastrointestinal problems associated with lactose intolerance.
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance
Signs of lactose intolerance are usually nausea, abdominal distention (bloating), cramps, diarrhea and gases or flatulence. Lactose intolerance symptoms occur in only about 1/5th of affected people. Occurrence and suffering from symptoms would vary from person to person depending on the amount of lactose present in the meal.
Lactose Intolerance Test
Diagnosis to test for lactose intolerance is done by consuming more dairy products that the ability to digest. Hydrogen breath test, intestinal biopsy are tests used to confirm lactose intolerant individuals. Stool acidity test is done to verify lactose intolerance in infants. Other forms of testing in infants are risky and not practical.
How to deal with Lactose-Intolerance?
Lactose intolerance may not cause concern to people living in regions where dairy products are not so popular. But in societies where dairy consumption is common, this condition might be worrisome and people might look for treatment options to overcome it.
Lactose intolerance does not pose a major threat to anyone’s health, but to manage this condition it requires one to minimize onset and severity of symptoms. Four general principles laid down by Berdanier and Hargrove are:
- Avoid or restrict lactose in the diet
- Substitute to maintain nutrient intake
- Regulate calcium intake
- Use enzyme substitute
Read Food Labels
Milk, butter, commercially available yogurt, kefir, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, icecream contain lactose. Traditional home made yogurt is less likely to cause lactose intolerance as the lactose is converted to lactic acid. Also high fat cheeses have less lactose.
Read food labels to check for lactose content to understand amount of lactose present.
Watch out for food labels which read low fat or fat free on dairy products; these have slightly more percent of lactose. Oftentimes, low fat dairy products have milk solids added to them to enhance sweet taste. When you see “milk solids” on the label, you can be sure that the food has higher lactose content.
Non dairy foods may contain labels which read lactoserum, modified milk ingredients, milk solids, whey and so on. These are commercial food additives used for enhacing flavor, texture and found many times in processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, sliced meats. They are also found in margarines, gravy stock powder, sliced breads, breakfast cereals, potato chips, meal replacement powders and bars, dried fruits, medications, pre-prepared meals. Kosher products with labels reading ‘pareve’ are free from milk. However if you read D (for dairy) on the label or Hechsher, the food is likely to contain milk solids. It can also mean that the product was made on equipment which was shared to make other products which contained milk derivatives.
Dietary Guidelines for Lactose Intolerant People
If you are lactose intolerant, you can make use of these practical steps for comfortably incorporating dairy foods into your diet.
- Include milk or dairy foods as part of a meal. This will undergo slow digestion, allowing the lactose to be absorbed more gradually. If an eight ounce glass of milk causes discomfort, try consuming smaller portions (four to six ounces) more often throughout the day.
- The fat content of foods which slows digestion affects lactose intolerance. Drink whole rather than skim milk.
- Eat dairy foods that have a high solid content such as ice cream, ice milk and chocolate milk. These products are often better tolerated than regular milk.
- Opt for natural aged or ripened cheeses, such as Swiss, Gruyere, Parmesan and Cheddar. These cheeses contain little lactose.
- Consume lactose-reduced dairy products, such as lactose-reduced milk. Or, purchase commercially produced lactase to add to regular milk at home.
- Yogurt, with active cultures, is often better tolerated than whole milk, even though it contains just as much lactose. The presence of bacterial lactase in yogurt substitutes for that missing in the human digestive tract helps break down the lactose in yogurt.
- If you are looking for lactose intolerance recipes, you can safely use 100% lactose free foods, such as soymilk, rice milk, peanut milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk and lentil soups.
Dairy products are important sources of calcium, protein and calories in a balanced diet. If you are concerned about your intake of dairy foods, consult your doctor or dietitian.
