Lactose Intolerance
When someone is said to be lactose intolerant this is because the
digestive system of this individual is not able to break down completely
the sugar called LACTOSE found in milk . This inability results from a
shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is produced by the cells that line
the small intestine. Hence, the term Lactase Deficiency.
In a normal digestive system all the food we eat is broken down into
smaller and simpler ‘bits and pieces' in an easy way to say it. This
helps the body to absorb the food and take out the proteins and what
ever is needed to maintain itself. Lactase breaks down milk sugar
(lactose) into the simpler form of sugar called glucose and galactose
that can then be absorbed into the bloodstream.
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When lactase is missing or there is not enough of it to digest the
lactose consumed, the results may be very distressing (see symptoms) for
the person. While not all persons deficient in lactase have the same
symptoms if at all, those who do are considered to be lactose
intolerant.
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What is lactose anyway?
Lactose is simply a sugar found in milk.
Any sort of milk produced by the human being or animals contains
lactose. The sugar we mix with our coffees or teas comes generally from
the sugarcane and this sugar is called sucrose. On the other hand sugar
we find in fruits is called fructose and sugar that is used in the
brewing of barley, wheat and oats is called maltose (not Maltese). Our
body needs sugar as it is the source of fuel we need to for example move
our muscles or to simply be able to read this message. However, the only
sugar our body is able to burn is called glucose, therefore all other
sugars that enter our system have to be converted into glucose. This can
only be done by the help of enzymes produced by our body that are able
to biochemically convert what ever sugar into glucose.
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What causes lactose intolerance?
So now we know that lactose intolerance is caused by the inability of
the digestive system to break down lactose into glucose. We also know
that the protein (enzyme) responsible to break down lactose into glucose
is called lactase. Therefore, the lack of lactase causes lactose
intolerance. However, different persons may have different amounts of
lactase produced. For instance Peter may be producing just enough
lactase to cope with a glass of milk in the morning before suffering any
effects while Jane is not even able to have a lick of ice-cream because
it distresses her. Some of the causes of lactose intolerance are known.
The production of the enzyme lactase can be hindered by certain
digestive diseases and injuries to the small intestine. In some cases,
children are born without the ability to produce lactase. However, in
most cases lactase deficiency develops naturally over time when after
about the age of 2 years, the body begins to produce less lactase.
Interestingly, most people do not experience symptoms until they reach
an older age.
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What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
The symptoms listed below are caused by the fermentation of lactose.
Since lactose is not broken into glucose, and hence left unabsorbed by
the body, the perfect conditions found in the intestines help the
lactose to ferment and this leads to the formation of gases. A
particular gas is methane that is usually the cause for the pain and
aggressive flatulence.
Common symptoms include:
nausea
cramps
bloating gas,
wind diarrhoea, which may begin from after half an hour to 2 hours after
eating or drinking foods containing lactose.
Persons who suffer from lactase deficiency and do not avoid lactose may
suffer from weight loss and malnutrition.
The severity of symptoms varies depending on the amount of lactose each
individual can tolerate. Some of the symptoms may be similar to those of
milk allergy but milk allergies can cause the body to react quicker,
more often within a few minutes.
Compare the symptoms of lactose intolerance with those of milk allergy.
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What treatment can I use for lactose intolerance?
Presently there is no cure for Lactose Intolerance and there are only
two ways to cope with lactose intolerance.
If you can live without consuming dairy products all you have to do is
keep away from them. However, you must make sure not to buy foods with
milk hidden in them because you may suffer some symptoms.
The second option is to replace the lactase that your digestive system
is not producing. This way you may be able to enjoy dairy products
without sufferance. There is a handful of pharmaceutical companies that
produce lactase enzyme tablets to have with your dinner. From this web
site you are able to buy these capsules to help you. Moreover, you can
also acquire lactase enzyme drops to treat milk so you can enjoy a glass
of milk lactose free..
Unless taking lactase enzyme capsules, young children with lactase
deficiency should not consume any foods containing lactose (for a list
of foods containing hidden lactose click here). In general older
children and adults need not avoid lactose completely, but individuals
can handle different amounts of lactose . For instance, John may suffer
symptoms after drinking a small glass of milk, while Rose can drink one
glass but not two. Some persons may be able to tolerate certain products
containing lactose but not others. This is a learning process for each
individual and it is only by trial and error to find out what and how
much exactly one is able to handle products containing lactose.
One can buy products that do not contain lactose. Supermarkets sell many
products that can improve one's life without the risk of consuming
lactose. One can find many non-dairy products including butter,
yoghourt, ‘cream', and of coarse Soya milk. This milk contains all of
the nutrients including calcium, found in regular milk. One can buy
unsweetened Soya-milk or sweetened, usually with fructose. Please make
sure that when you are shopping for non lactose food products you do not
forget to look for the other ingredients that contain hidden lactose as
otherwise you might get symptoms anyway. Make sure you have a copy of
the list for the hidden products.
On the other hand, if you wish to have dairy products you may consider
taking lactase enzyme as described above. These come in the form of
drops to add with milk and in capsules to have before a meal. They are
very effective as they put enough lactase enzyme in your digestive
system that your body cannot make. My recommendation is to get Lactase
drops to put in milk and use as normal milk and Prolactazyme that apart
from Lactase it contains a range of other digestive enzymes to help in
complete digestion of most foods. Click here if you want to see more
information digestive enzymes.
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Do I/my child suffer form lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is a very common disorder that is present in many
people and being ignored all the time. The first thing you basically
need to check about yourself is whether you get bloating as soon as you
have dairy products. This usually starts within 30 minutes and may be an
indication that you might be lactase deficient (on the other hand if
your colleague in the office suffers from wind instruct him to avoid
dairy products to allow you to work in peace!).
Many persons suffer from symptoms of lactose intolerance without
realising the actual cause of it. In these cases the person may feel
distressed with symptoms. The main problem is the fact that not many
people would ever think that milk may give all these problems to them.
Usually all other things are blamed but milk is never in the list of
suspicions (especially in allergies - see milk allergies).
Many times babies suffer from wind and colic. However, the cause of all
the pain, crying and distress on both the baby and the parents may be
the inability of the baby to break down lactose (lactase deficiency).
The fermentation of lactose in the bowels causes the formation of gases,
including methane and carbon dioxide. These will cause the baby’s
intestines to inflate and there is no need to say how distressing this
feeling on the baby is. Unfortunately this remains undetected and the
baby is fed milk all the time. In a medical study involving 53 babies
with severe colitis half of them stopped crying after they were given
milk treated with lactase enzyme drops. These lactase enzyme drops are
available here as well and are highly recommended by several medical
researches to give to babies who suffer from colitis (See abstract).
Alternatively, with advise from the doctor and dieticians a supplement
to milk should be found, at least to see if the cause for colic is milk.
Another drawback is that LI is misdiagnosed in most of the cases.
Doctors find it difficult to pinpoint the presence of LI and people with
this condition are wrongly classified as suffering from the Irritable
Bowel Syndrome (IBS). These persons are made to suffer in vain, where if
they were diagnosed properly, all it takes is the avoidance of milk from
their diet. This will be enough to lead them to a normal life.
Above all how would one expect us to blame milk, isn’t it the same
liquid that our mother has produced to nourish us with? Isn’t milk the
most special drink, full of proteins and nutrients much required by our
body? Sad to say that this does not make sense for every one because
statistics show the other face of milk.
Permanent lactase deficiency (the inability to produce the enzyme needed
to break down lactose) develops in about 80-95% of blacks and Orientals.
About 50% of Mediterranean are affected while only up to 15% of Northern
Europeans develop lactase deficiency.
Many people suffer from lactose intolerance but probably few of them
realise this and remain in distress unnecessarily.
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Is lactose intolerance contagious?
The answer is simply NO. These disorders are not transmitted from a
person to another, nor are they transmitted through any other media
(e.g., bacteria, viruses, animals).
While lactose intolerance is the inability of the person in question to
produce enough lactase to break down the sugar lactose, milk allergy is
caused by the inability of the immune system to learn that milk proteins
are harmless for the body. None of these two irregularities are caused
by an external agent, however, they can be hereditary. See below.
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LI appeared from the blues .I never suffered before, then it
disappeared!
There are two types of deficiencies of lactase enzyme :
the primary deficiency which is a permanent state. The congenital form
is very rare, while the delayed lactase disappearance, also called
primary hypolactasy of the adult, is much more common. The lactasic
activity generally starts to decline as from the ageof 2 ; however this
phenomenon can also appear only towards the age of 20
secondary deficiency is generally a temporary state due to a
deterioration of the mucous membrane of the small intestine. It lasts
approximately one week after recovery. Young babies (infants) and
children suffering from gastro-intestinal infection or malnutrition are
particularly vulnerable to this type of secondary deficiency of lactase
enzyme. It can also be caused by a coeliac disease, by an allergy to
cow's milk, by certain drugs and by gastro-intestinal surgery.
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