Healthy living gets lactose intolerant

We’ve all been accustomed to hearing “Milk does the body good” and while a daily dose of calcium through milk is indeed good for your health, milk, for some people ‘does the body bad’. That’s the case for the persons who are lactose Intolerant.  Healthy living, this week, finds out more about this disorder.

Marleni Cuellar, Reporting

People who are lactose intolerant have a lot of difficulty or are unable to digest milk and milk products. In fact the body’s reaction to ingesting milk is most times immediate and always uncomfortable. Gastroenterologist, Dr Mark Musa, explains that the problem originates with one specific ingredient in milk.

Dr. Mark Musa, Gastroenterologist

“Lactose intolerance is a common disorder and it is due to the inability to digest and absorb sugar lactose which is the main sugar found in milk and dairy products. Normally you need an enzyme lactase which is made in the small intestine to be able to digest lactose. lactose on its own cannot be absorb by the small intestine this enzyme breaks it down into two smaller sugars called glucose and galactose and those are then absorbed in the small intestine and play an important role in energy source and nutrients.”

This deficiency of lactase can be a result of several causes.

Dr. Mark Musa

“The most common cause is primary lactose intolerance. When we’re born the level of enzyme is at its highest but as the years go by and we move towards adulthood the level of activity and the enzyme goes down. It is made that way our bodies have adopted because as a child, milk is the primary source of nutrients but as our diets become more varied then the need to digest lactose should be less.”

Lactose intolerance can also be a result of genetics, which means some babies are simply born that way and it can be secondary to another condition like gastroenteritis, parasites, HIV and even cancer treatment.  The body’s reaction, no matter of cause, is usually the same.

Dr. Mark Musa

“Usually the symptoms would start some 30 minutes after ingesting dairy products, milk and what happens is if you are an adult and the level of enzymes is low then you’re not able to break down the lactose. The undigested lactose then goes to the colon and in colon it draws water into the colon and then you develop one of the main symptoms which is diarrhea. In the colon you also have bacteria that can ferment the lactose and produce a lot of gases so again bloating, abdominal distention and gas. Those are some of the common symptoms.”

There are specific diagnostics tests that can be used to detect lactose intolerance but most doctors can make a clinical diagnosis based on the symptoms presented. The treatment includes a change in diet and finding alternative sources of calcium.

Dr. Mark Musa

“The primary treatment is restricting the amount of dairy products in the diet. The person usually can tolerate some dairy but they might tolerate yogurt and cheese better than they can tolerate milk. It’s always better to consume the milk along with other foods. Because drinking a glass of milk with no food might trigger off the symptoms much faster than if you mix it with cereal or other foods. That delays the symptoms and gives the little bit of enzymes you have chance to digest the lactose. Calcium supplementation is important particularly in women who are more prone to osteoporosis. There are a lot of calcium fortified foods. So you either take it as a vitamin but other foods: broccoli tofu, there are a lot of foods that are rich in calcium, shrimp but usually if you convert to another milk. For example soy milk is calcium fortified and you get your calcium that way.”

Dr. Musa also advocates for people who are lactose intolerant to keep a diary of what triggers the symptoms and most importantly to know what is in the food they eat.

Dr. Mark Musa

“The other thing you should do is read labels. Hidden sources of lactose, baking powder, cereals margarine, butter, and some processed meats that do have lactose. If you see the word whey, whey comes from milk it is a milk based protein so that can have lactose in it. And make a note of what triggers your symptoms and what you’re able to tolerate.”

If you’ve been carrying out this treatment alone and the symptoms are not resolved quickly then visit your doctor and ensure that there is no other serious medical condition.