Avoiding the Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose Intolerance symptoms can be very uncomfortable and unpleasant. The symptoms vary in severity. Some may have a small bit of nausea but others may throw up. A few people may experience diarrhea while others have excessive gas. Abdominal bloating may accompany lactose intolerance or it may cause someone to double over in cramping abdominal pain.

It can become a guessing game trying to figure out which products cause the discomfort. Most people experience lactose intolerance symptoms about 30 minutes after consuming a dairy related product. Others may not feel any symptoms for up to 2 hours after taking in dairy products.

If you suspect that you are suffering from lactose intolerance there is a simple way to find out. Eliminate all milk and dairy products from the diet for at least two weeks. If the symptoms subside and do not return during the two weeks it is very likely you have been experiencing symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. Reintroduce one dairy product at a time. If symptoms recur with any particular item you will know what is causing your discomfort or pain.

Lactose is a form of a natural sugar found in many dairy products. Any product that is made using milk will also contain lactose. The body manufactures an enzyme to digest lactose. This enzyme is called lactase. When you have lactose intolerance symptoms your body does not have enough lactase to properly digest lactose. It tries to get rid of it another way as it passes through the colon; this is what the cause lactose intolerance symptoms to arise.

There isn’t a cure for lactose intolerance but avoiding lactose will keep the symptoms at bay. There are many new milk substitute products that are available without lactose. For those who do not experience severe symptoms and just need to limit lactose there is also reduced lactose milks.

To avoid the symptoms of lactose intolerance simply avoid any products which contain lactose. This is getting easier to do with new reduced lactose or lactose free options becoming more readily available. Calcium is an essential nutrient we get from many lactose bearing food products. It is still possible to get the daily recommended amounts of calcium by consuming lactose free substitutes.

There are several vegetables which contain larger amounts of calcium such as broccoli, kale and certain greens. Calcium is also found in almonds and soy products. Soy products can resemble the dairy products we enjoy.

Lactose Intolerance symptoms: Do I have it or not

Don’t just listen to others especially who are not experts and jump to the conclusion of deciding yourself as lactose intolerant. There is a list of the people who misjudge any disturbance in body with lactose intolerance symptoms. Even though it’s a fact that 10 to 15% of the Americans are lactose intolerant, but these similar symptoms causing the sensitivity to any component of the milk must not definitely be that of lactose.

Principally Lactose is a sugar present in the milk. Anyone who suffers from the lactose intolerance will not be able to properly digest that simple sugar which is normally present in the milk related products and any dairy products. This inability to digest the lactose by digestive system creates a wide array of problems inside the stomach.

Due to the non-processing of the lactose many lactose intolerance symptoms show up. Some of the common symptoms are stomach cramps, painful gases and bloating. These symptoms usually deteriorate with age causing many painful sessions but are not life frightening.

Many dairy products are available in the market for the lactose intolerant sufferers. These wide varieties of products are a treat for the sufferers as they are lactose free. Many products these days come with lactase. Lactase is the enzyme which helps in digesting the lactose. The problem actually arises when you feel that you are lactose intolerant and start to use these lactose free or lactase added dairy products. These products may not be safe to you and may have side effects.  Some proteins namely casein and whey are added to the milk products for the sufferers. Usage of such products may lead to some kind of allergies.

To be true to you all many lactose intolerance symptoms seems to be similar to other dairy products allergy. Don’t just become the culprit of misjudging. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, and abdominal pain. These commonly occurring problems can be symptoms to many of other dairy products. But to be on safer side if you feel these symptoms more regularly or whenever you consume dairy products you could be lactose intolerant. Get checked with the doctor at least once to be sure in future.  

The future for lactose intolerant symptoms looks positive. There is significant research in this area to find an easier way to control lactose intolerance including the tests in 1998 by scientists. They undertook gene therapy transplant in rats and hope to adapt this technique in humans in years to come.