Lactose intolerance – the inability to digest cow’s milk – is surprisingly common. But because milk is found in so many foods, and symptoms mimic a number of other illnesses, it’s often hard to properly diagnose the problem. Here is what you need to know.
Q. My friends say they are lactose intolerant. What does it mean?
Lactose is the sugar found naturally in milk and dairy products, and our bodies use an enzyme called lactase to break this down. Lactose intolerance occurs when you have insufficient levels of lactase in the gut so the milk sugar cannot be digested properly. The sugar goes on to ferment in the gut, causing a build-up of fluid and gas in the bowel.
Q. What are the symptoms?
About one to two hours after eating a dairy product, people develop bloating, wind, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. This tends to occur in reaction to any dairy products but people find pure milk and hard cheese the worst offenders. Lactose intolerance worsens with age as the body’s natural amount of lactase diminishes.
Q. If you are lactose intolerant is that the same as being allergic to dairy?
No, but people confuse the two. If you are allergic to dairy, the immune system rejects dairy products with a serious allergic reaction of skin rashes, vomiting, wheezing, stomach pain or a potentially-fatal anaphylactic reaction. People who are allergic to dairy must avoid all milk products. Someone with lactose intolerance can tolerate milk products without lactose and their immune system is not involved in causing the reaction.
Q. How do I get diagnosed for lactose intolerance?
There have been many misdiagnoses due to a lack of awareness among doctors and patients. This has led to people with lactose intolerance being wrongly labelled as having irritable bowel syndrome. The easiest way to diagnose it is to do an elimination diet by removing lactose from the diet for two weeks. If symptoms reduce, this points to lactose intolerance.
Q. Does lactose intolerance mean giving up all dairy products?
No. After an exclusion diet you can gradually introduce dairy to discover your tolerance level. Some may not be able to tolerate a latte, but are fine with a splash of milk in tea. There are also lactose-free products that are cow’s milk-based with the lactose removed. Some wrongly switch to goat’s milk but this still contains lactose. Almond, oat and soya milk are lactose-free alternatives. – Daily Mail