How Do You Know if You Are Lactose Intolerance
Overview
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is the inability to assimilate lactose, the sugar primarily found in milk and dairy products. It is caused by a shortage of lactase in the body, an enzyme produced by the small intestine that is needed to digest lactose. While lactose intolerance is not dangerous, its symptoms tin can be distressing.
Who is affected by lactose intolerance?
For about people, lactose intolerance develops over fourth dimension equally the body produces less lactase.
Information technology is estimated that 36% of Americans and 68% of the world population have some caste of lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance affects people from certain ethnic populations and races—such as Latin Americans, African-Americans, Native Americans, Asians, East Europeans and Centre Easterners—more than than others.
How practice I know if processed foods contain lactose?
When ownership food, read the ingredients on food labels advisedly. Ingredients derived from milk that contain lactose include:
- Whey.
- Cheese.
- Milk by-products.
- Dry milk solids.
- Lactose.
- Butter.
- Curds.
- Nonfat dry milk.
- Dry milk powder.
Also avert items that state "may comprise milk" on the food label. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may need to avoid or limit foods containing these ingredients.
The following ingredients come from milk and do not contain lactose:
- Casein
- Lactalbumin
- Lactate
- Lactic acrid
Lactose is besides present in about xx% of prescription medications, such as nascence control pills (oral contraceptives), and about six percent of over-the-counter medications, such as some tablets for breadbasket acid and gas. Viactiv® calcium chews incorporate lactose and should be avoided while following a lactose-free diet.
These medications commonly bear upon only people with severe lactose intolerance. Inquire your healthcare provider which medications contain lactose, and read the labels on over-the-counter medications to check their lactose content.
Foods that contain lactose in small quantities include:
- Staff of life and broiled goods.
- Milk chocolate and some candies.
- Salad dressings and sauces.
- Breakfast cereals and cereal bars.
- Instant potatoes, soups, rice and noodle mixes.
- Lunch meats (other than kosher).
- Cheese flavored crackers and other snacks.
- Mixes for pancakes, biscuits, and cookies.
- Margarine and butter.
- Organ meats (such as liver).
- Carbohydrate beets, peas, lima beans.
- Certain coffee creamers.
Symptoms and Causes
What causes lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is acquired by a shortage of lactase in the body, an enzyme produced by the minor intestine that is needed to digest lactose. Certain digestive diseases (such as Crohn'southward affliction, ulcerative colitis, and celiac affliction), tum or abdominal infections, and injuries to the small intestine (such every bit surgery, trauma, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy) may reduce the amount of lactase bachelor to process lactose properly. If the pocket-size intestine is injured, lactose intolerance may be temporary, with symptoms improving after the intestine has healed.
What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include nausea, cramps, gas, bloating, or diarrhea within 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming milk or dairy products. Symptoms occur because there is not enough lactase beingness produced by the body to digest the lactose consumed. The severity of symptoms varies, depending on the amount of lactose an individual person can tolerate. Some people may be sensitive to extremely small amounts of lactose-containing foods while others can swallow larger amounts before they notice symptoms.
Diagnosis and Tests
How is lactose intolerance diagnosed?
The nigh common test for the diagnosis of lactase deficiency is the hydrogen breath test. This test is done at an outpatient clinic or dr.'s office. In practice, many doctors will ask patients who suspect they accept lactose intolerance to avert milk and dairy products for 1 or 2 weeks to run into if their symptoms subside, and will and then confirm the diagnosis with the hydrogen breath examination. The hydrogen breath test measures the amount of hydrogen in the breath after drinking a lactose-loaded drink.
Management and Treatment
How is lactose intolerance treated?
Lactose intolerance is easily treated. The goal of treatment is to command symptoms through dietary changes.
People with lactose intolerance can usually detect a level of lactose-containing foods that will non produce symptoms. You can learn through trial and error what amount and type of lactose-containing products you can tolerate or yous tin can temporarily eliminate all lactose-containing foods from your usual diet using a Lactose-Free Diet, and then gradually add them back to find your level of tolerance and comfort.
For trial and mistake, effort having smaller portions of your usual dairy foods, substituting them with lactose-complimentary dairy products, or consuming milk and dairy products with meals considering lactose may be improve tolerated when eaten with other foods. Further, yous may be may notice better tolerance of certain dairy foods that comprise lower amounts of lactose, such as cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese.
Living With
Lactose-free diet
If desired, a lactose-free diet should exist followed for two weeks. If symptoms have subsided afterwards the 2-week strict diet, gradually add foods with lactose dorsum into the diet slowly and monitor tolerance. You lot may be able to tolerate up to 12 grams of lactose at ane fourth dimension.
Lactose content of milk and milk products
High-lactose foods
The following foods contain approximately five-viii grams of lactose:
| Nutrient | Serving |
|---|---|
| Milk (whole, reduced fat, fatty-complimentary, buttermilk, goat's milk) | 1/two cup |
| Evaporated milk | one/4 cup |
| Cheese spread and soft cheeses | ii oz. |
| Cottage cheese | iii/4 loving cup |
| Ricotta cheese | 3/four cup |
| Yogurt, plain | 1/2 cup |
| Ice cream | 3/4 cup |
| Heavy cream | i/2 cup |
| Non-fat dry milk powder | 2 Tbsp |
Low-lactose foods
The following foods contain approximately 0-2 grams of lactose:
| Food | Serving |
|---|---|
| Condensed milk | one/2 loving cup |
| Half and half | 1/two cup |
| Sour foam | 2 Tbsp |
| Milk, treated with lactase enzyme | 1/two cup |
| Sherbet | 1/2 cup |
| Anile cheese (such as blue, brick, cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan | i-2 oz. |
| Processed cheese | 1 oz. |
Tips for adding lactose foods back later on a lactose diet:
- Gradually add together small amounts of food and drinks that contain lactose to determine your tolerance level. You lot may exist able to tolerate up to ane/2 loving cup of milk or the equivalent with each repast.
- Drink milk in servings of 1 loving cup or less.
- Try hard cheeses that are low in lactose, like cheddar.
- Drinkable milk with a meal or with other foods.
- Try yogurt or Greek yogurt with active cultures. Y'all may be able to digest yogurt better than milk. Your own tolerance may vary depending on the brand. Frozen yogurt may not be tolerated as well as yogurt.
- Substitute lactose-reduced dairy products and 100 percent lactose-gratuitous milk for regular dairy products. These products are located in the dairy section of nearly supermarkets.
- The lactase enzyme is also available in liquid, tablet or chewable form. No prescription is needed and information technology can assist you lot tolerate foods containing lactose. Take the enzyme with the lactose-containing nutrient. Lactase volition aid y'all digest the lactose so your torso tin blot information technology. Some over-the-counter enzyme products that are available include Lactaid®, Lactrace®, Dairy Ease®, and Certain-Lac®.
- Many canned nutritional supplements (such every bit Ensure®, Boost®) are lactose-costless. Production labels should be checked.
How can I maintain a balanced diet?
Milk and dairy products are a major source of calcium, an essential food for the growth and repair of bones and teeth throughout life. Calcium is also essential for claret to clot normally, muscles and nerves to function properly, and the centre to beat normally.
People who are lactose-intolerant don't necessarily accept to consume milk and dairy products to go the calcium they demand to maintain proper nutrition.
If you have trouble consuming enough calcium-rich foods in your daily diet, talk to your healthcare provider or a Registered Dietitian about taking a calcium supplement. The amount of calcium you will need from a supplement volition depend on how much calcium you are consuming through nutrient sources.
The following foods incorporate calcium:
| Food | Serving | Calcium |
|---|---|---|
| Sardines | 3 oz. | 325 mg |
| Spinach (cooked) | ane loving cup | 240 mg |
| Broccoli (cooked) | i cup | 180 mg |
| Calcium-fortified orange juice | 8 oz. | 350 mg |
| Calcium-fortified soy or almond milk | viii oz. | 300 mg |
| Stale beans (cooked) | 1 and 1/2 loving cup | 150 mg |
| Tofu | one/2 cup | 250 mg |
Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7317-lactose-intolerance
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