Reviewed by: J. Fernando del Rosario, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Lactose Intolerance? What Happens in Lactose Intolerance? Besides age, people can become lactose intolerant due to: Ethnic background. People of Asian, African, Native American, and Hispanic backgrounds are more likely to develop lactose intolerance at a young age.
Other problems with the digestive tract. People who have inflammation of their upper small intestine, such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease, have less of the lactase enzyme. Some antibiotics can trigger temporary lactose intolerance because they affect how the intestine makes lactase.
After a bout of infectious diarrhea, some people can develop a temporary lactose intolerance that usually improves after a few days or weeks. Usually within 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating, someone with lactose intolerance will have: nausea stomach cramps bloating gas diarrhea How Is Lactose Intolerance Diagnosed?
How Is Lactose Intolerance Treated? What About Calcium? You also can eat non-dairy products like: calcium-fortified juice or soy milk green, leafy vegetables like broccoli, collard greens, kale, and turnip greens beans salmon almonds soybeans dried fruit tofu Talking to a registered dietitian is a good idea.
What Else Should I Know? Here are some tips for dealing with lactose intolerance: Choose lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk. The Mayo Clinic explains that, sadly, lactase supplements taken either before or with food won't work for everyone. Those whose bodies naturally produce more lactase will be less sensitive to lactose , or less lactose intolerant, than those whose bodies produce very little lactase.
For some, their large lactase deficiencies just cannot be supplemented by a pill. It's a good thing, then, that more and more dairy companies are finding milk alternatives. Even the lactose intolerant can enjoy certain varieties of Ben and Jerry's , thank goodness. For example, hard cheeses, such as Swiss or cheddar, have small amounts of lactose and generally cause no symptoms.
Ice cream and milk contain the most lactose, but the high fat content in ice cream might allow you to eat it without symptoms. You might tolerate cultured milk products such as yogurt because the bacteria used in the culturing process naturally produce the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Probiotics are living organisms present in your intestines that help maintain a healthy digestive system. Probiotics are also available as active or "live" cultures in some yogurts and as supplements in capsule form.
They are sometimes used for gastrointestinal conditions, such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. They might also help your body digest lactose. Probiotics are generally considered safe and might be worth a try if other methods don't help. Start by seeing your family doctor if you have signs or symptoms that suggest you may have lactose intolerance. Here's some information to help you get ready. When you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
Keep track of your daily servings of dairy foods, including milk, ice cream, yogurt and cottage cheese, and when you have them and what you eat with them. Also let your doctor know which dairy foods, in what amounts, give you symptoms. This information can help your doctor make a diagnosis. If you think you may have lactose intolerance, try cutting dairy products from your diet for a few days to see if your symptoms ease.
Let your doctor know if your symptoms got better on the days you didn't have dairy products. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. For the test, you will drink a liquid that contains lactose.
Some blood samples will be taken over a 2-hour period. These will check your blood sugar blood glucose level. Hydrogen breath test. You will drink a liquid containing a lot of lactose.
Your breath will be checked several times. High levels of hydrogen in your breath may mean you are lactose intolerant. Stool acidity test. This test is used for infants and young children. It checks how much acid is in the stool. If someone is not digesting lactose, their stool will have lactic acid, glucose, and other fatty acids.
Foods to Avoid if You Have IBS While lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome IBS are two different conditions, both can cause similar symptoms for people who drink milk or eat milk products. Read More. How is lactose intolerance treated? Here are some tips for managing lactose in your diet: Start slowly. Try adding small amounts of milk or milk products and see how your body reacts.
Have milk and milk products with other foods. You may find you have fewer symptoms if you take milk or milk products with your meals. Try eating cheese with crackers or having milk with cereal. Eat dairy products with naturally lower levels of lactose. These include hard cheeses and yogurt.
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