Causes And Symptoms Of Lactose Intolerance

What is lactose intolerance?

People with lactose intolerance can not stand milk. They are hypersensitive to the milk sugar lactose contained in milk.
Lactose intolerance can begin from the fourth year, but it usually starts later.

Lactose intolerance is annoying, but not dangerous. It is not the same as cow's milk protein allergy. People with cows' milk allergy have far worse problems.

What causes lactose intolerance?

The intestines of people with lactose intolerance, the lactose from milk can not digest. This causes the symptoms.

Lactose intolerance is most common in people of African and Asian descent and people living in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. These people do naturally in their gut with very little or no lactase. Lactase is needed to digest lactose.

Besides these chronic form of lactose intolerance, there are also two types of temporary lactose intolerance:

1. lactose intolerance by a virus.
2. lactose intolerance by a damage of the intestinal wall (for example, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, radiation, or intestinal surgery).

Babies and very young children do not suffer from lactose intolerance because they have enough lactase in their intestines. One exception is babies with the hereditary form of lactose intolerance. They make no lactase from birth on. They do not tolerate any type of milk. The inherited form occurs very rarely.

What are the signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance?

People with lactose intolerance can not stand milk or milk products with it. If those who eat, they get these symptoms:

1. stomach cramps;
2. rumblings in the abdomen;
3. bloating;
4. flatulence;
5. sometimes watery, frothy diarrhea.

Dietary advice in lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance can only be little lactose in your diet. These products contain lactose:

1. sweet milks;
2. soft cheeses;
3. certain types of margarine;
4. ice cream;
5. butter;
6. whipped cream;
7. sommig cakes;
8. biscuits.

These products can therefore best avoided.

What can you eat it?

1. Products with little lactose. Most people with lactose intolerance tolerated per day from about 10 to 12 grams lactose. So you can have food products with little lactose, such as sour milk and hard cheese. Only people with congenital, hereditary lactose intolerance can already get complaints from a small amount of lactose.
2. Lactose-free or lactose-reduced milk and milk products such as soymilk.
3. You can also take lactase before using a product that is in lactose. Lactase can be purchased at the pharmacy. There is liquid lactase and lactase in the form of chewable tablets. Liquid lactase can be added to liquid milk.

If you eat little or no dairy products, you can get a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals. A dietitian can help you put together a good diet.