October 2009 - Vol 4 Issue 10

Lactose Intolerance
Living with a common digestive problem
by Michelle Gibeault Traub, R.D.

A shocking statistic released recently declares that 60% of adults can’t digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and most dairy products. How can that be true when we were raised on milk and told that we had to drink 3-4 cups a day to get the calcium our bones need? Apparently lactase deficiency, a decrease in the enzyme that helps us digest lactose, becomes more common as we age. Therefore, toddlers and children can easily digest the dairy they need. However, for adults, as lactose intolerance becomes a problem some creative solutions may be needed for meeting calcium requirements.    

Who has lactose intolerance?

Research indicates that lactose intolerance should actually be the norm for most people over the age of 5. The digestive tract typically stops producing lactase between 2 and 5 years of age. However, individuals of European descent seem to have adapted the ability to continue lactase production well into adulthood. Other ethnicities are not so lucky. In fact, the rates of lactose intolerance in African Americans, American Indians, and Asian Americans can be as high as 80-100%. In addition, some people develop what is known as secondary lactose intolerance where they lose the ability to produce lactase following illnesses such as:

1. Stomach infections (viruses, parasites, bacteria),
2. Celiac disease, Crohn’s Disease, or Ulcerative Colitis,
3. Digestive surgery (gastric bypass, bowel resection), or
4. Long-term use of antibiotics.

Lactose intolerance symptoms

So how do you actually know if you are one of the millions of Americans who have lactose intolerance? Typically your body will alert you with the following uncomfortable symptoms:

1. Abdominal pain and bloating,
2. Gas,
3. Diarrhea, and/or
4. Nausea.

Such symptoms typically occur within 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating foods that contain lactose. There are also several tests that your doctor can order to determine a definitive diagnosis including the hydrogen breath test, the lactose tolerance test, or the stool acidity test. However, the easiest and least expensive way to determine if you have lactose intolerance is simply by eating only lactose-free foods for 1 week, and then slowly adding in lactose-containing foods such as milk or ice cream to determine if symptoms result.   
Even if you are one of the millions with lactose intolerance there’s no need to worry. Simply follow a lactose free diet and you will be symptom free.

Learn how to reduce the lactose in your diet with these Lactose-Free Diet tips.

References

• Elizabeth Weise. Sixty percent of adults can't digest, USAToday.com. Posted 8/30/2009 Updated 9/15/2009, Retrieved 10/1/09 LINK


• National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Lactose Intolerance NIH Publication No. 09–2751, June 2009. retrieved 10/1/09 LINK


• Mary Ellen Posthauer, RD, CD, LD. Lactose Intolerance: Testing and Challenges. Today’s Dietitian. July 2007.

Top of Page