Lactose Intolerance - a Common Digestive Disorder

The individual with lactose intolerance may have the following symptoms: cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and also nausea. How bad the symptoms are felt depends on how much milk products have been consumed.

As many as 50 million Americans including both children and adults suffer from lactose intolerance. It is so common that 75% of African-Americans and Native Americans are lactose intolerant. 90% of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant.

Digestive diseases or injury to the small intestine causes this inability of the body to digest lactase, a sugar in milk products.

The individual with lactose intolerance may have the following symptoms: cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and also nausea. How bad the symptoms are felt depends on how much milk products have been consumed.

A doctor may diagnose lactose intolerance by performing diagnostic tests on an outpatient basis. These tests are usually performed at a hospital laboratory, in a clinic, or at the doctor's office.

Tests

Lactose tolerance test - is when the absorption of lactose is measured. The individual has to fast before the test and then drink a liquid that contains lactose. Several blood tests are taken over a two-hour period of time. The glucose (blood sugar) level is measured. This test measures how well the individual's body digests lactose.

The hydrogen breath test is when the individual drinks a lactose-heavy drink, and the person's breath is then analyzed at regular intervals in order to measure the hydrogen in the breath. Bacteria ferment undigested lactose in the colon, which then results in gases being produced including hydrogen. High levels of hydrogen in the breath are an indication of lactose not being properly digested by the system.

Once diagnosed, the doctor will discuss treatment with the patient. The treatment should improve the body's ability to handle lactose by proper diet or by adding lactase enzymes to the diet. Children should be under the care of a doctor because of the vital need for milk products for healthy growth.

Sometimes lactose is found in unlikely foods because it is added to prepared foods such as bread and other baked goods, processed breakfast cereals, instant potatoes, soups, and breakfast drinks, margarine, lunch meats (not kosher ones), salad dressings, candies and other snack items, and mixes such as those for pancakes, biscuits and cookies.

You also have to be careful about nondairy products such as coffee creamer, and whipped toppings because they may be made with ingredients that are derived from milk and can therefore also contain lactose.

Labels can be deceptive as they may not say "milk" but contain milk-products so read labels when buying products and look for the following words:

Curds

Dry milk solids

Milk by-products

Nonfat dry milk powder

Whey

Individuals who are lactose intolerant can receive the calcium that their bodies need by eating nondairy foods such as green vegetables (broccoli, kale), fish that has soft bones such as salmon and sardines, and also yogurt, which is an excellent way for individuals to receive calcium. Yogurt has active cultures that actually produce some of the lactase enzymes required for proper digestion.