What Lactose Intolerance Is
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar
found in milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency in
the enzyme lactase, found in the small intestine. Lactase breaks
down milk sugar into simpler forms that can then digested by the
human body.
When there is not enough lactase to digest lactose, the symptoms
of lactose intolerance appear. Undigested lactose remains in the
colon where it is fermented by bacteria, and various gases are
produced. This is what gives you the symptoms.
Symptoms
Not everyone who has a lactase deficiency is lactose intolerant.
People who manifest symptoms are said to be lactose intolerant.
Some of the symptoms of lactose intolerance are nausea, cramps,
bloating, gas, diarrhea and vomiting, which can begin hours or
even a day after eating or drinking foods containing lactose.
The severity of symptoms varies from person to person.
Causes
The causes of lactose intolerance are either hereditary
(usually, the body's ability to produce lactase declines over
time) or caused by external factors (e.g., digestive diseases
reduce the amount of lactase produced by the cells. Sometimes,
children are born without the ability to produce lactase. In my
case, I realized that I was lactose intolerant after my third
episode of lactose intolerance symptoms. I had always been able
to eat ice cream with no problems (I'm an ice cream fanatic!).
However, at age 33, I began experiencing abdominal pain,
diarrhea and vomiting - all night long!- after consuming ice
cream. Because I had never had problems before, I assumed I had
a stomach virus until my sister, who is a nurse, suggested that
I developed lactose intolerance. For me, this was hard to
believe until a self-test involving me taking a Lactaid tablet
and then eating ice cream confirmed this - I experienced no
symptoms at all.
Certain ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected
than others. About 75 percent of all African Americans and
American Indians and 90 percent of Asian Americans are lactose
intolerant. The condition is least common among Caucasians.
Diagnosis
Lactose intolerance can be diagnosed by tests in the doctor's
office. The most common tests used to measure the absorption of
lactose in the digestive system are the lactose tolerance test,
the hydrogen breath test, and the stool acidity test. These
tests are performed on an outpatient basis at a hospital,
clinic, or doctor's office.
You can also test yourself for lactose intolerance by using the
self-test as I described above. If you are like me, you'll want
to avoid the pain and opt for the doctor's test. If you already
know the foods which you suspect are giving you lactose
intolerance symptoms, then you can try taking the Lactaid tablet
and consuming the food immediately after.We make it easy to
improve your health. Stop avoiding dairy products and suffering
from intolerable symptoms. To learn how to enjoy your favorite
dairy foods without pain, visit:
http://www.burn-your-fat.com/lactose-intolerance.html
About the author:
Marie Borges is a motivational writer, author and healthcare
consultant. She specializes in educating and motivating clients
on good nutrition, healthy eating and exercise to improve
overall health and happiness. To optimize your health, receive
free tips, recipes, articles and more, visit:
http://www.burn-your-fat.com
