How to Deal with Lactose Intolerance

Drinking  half a carton of milk and devouring a handful of cookies can be troublesome to some people, the problem being that they are unable to digest lactose which is a milk sugar.  When it cannot be digested in the small intestine, it travels to the large intestine where is is fermented by bacteria.  The fermentation process are gases — hydrogen, carbon dioxide and occasionally methane.  The process may also draw excessive fluid into the bowel, causing diarrhea and ultimately an evening of embarrassment.

Symptoms may begin within a half hour of consuming lactose. This happens when the lactose reaches your colon, according to Dr. Dennis Savaiano, Ph.D,  professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus.

The problem can be genetic in nature, and can be attributed to parents.  If the problem happens to be genetic, there is no doubt that heredity may be the cause.  For instance, if you are of Vietnamese heritage, it is certain that milk could make you moan. If you are a black American, your chances are two in three. If you are a white American, chances are one in five that you would have a problem.

The likelihood that infants and small children can suffer from lactose intolerance is remote.  Lactose problem can also develop from sickness that damages the intestinal lining, such as infectious diarrhea, intestinal parasites, or inflammatory bowel disease.  Lactose intolerance can also result from alcoholism, malnutrition, pelvic radiation therapy, as well as the intake of certain drugs, such as antibiotics.

There is a simple method by which you can find out if you have lactose intolerance. It is known as a breath hydrogen test, done by a doctor. specializing in gastrointestinal disorders.  Before the test begins, you are required to drink a solution of lactose on an empty stomach, after which your breath is sampled and analyzed over a period of 8 hours.  If you are, in fact, lactose intolerant, the amount of hydrogen in your breath will rise dramatically. This is because the gas that forms in your colon does not all pass as gas, but diffuses through your intestinal wall into your bloodstream and travels to your lungs, where it is expelled.

Treatment:  It should be noted that there are many over-the-counter products that contain lactase, the enzyme that is missing in your small intestine.  Some of these, such as Lactaid caplets and Lactrase capsules may work for you.  You can read the directions on the package as to how much you can use in order to eliminate the symptom.  Another product is yogurt in which some of the lactose has been broken down into digestible sugars. Yogurt culture comes with its own natural lactase.  Read the ingredients and be sure to notice if the yogurt that you are buying says “live cultures” on the label.  Avoid yogurts labeled “heat-treated after culturing.” 

Make milk part of a meal.  Fat and fiber slow the flow of food through the small intestine, allowing your system to digest some lactase, which means that the same glass of milk that gives you problems on an empty stomach may go down easily when taken with food.  Another important advice is to stick to small portions and try to differentiate high from low.