Lactose Intolerance: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Grumble, grumble: This is the sound of gut, if you suffer from lactose intolerance and a glass of drinking milk. Cramps and stomach rumblings are typical symptoms.

Lactose intolerance is one of the food intolerances and is relatively widespread in many country. 100 people show about 15 symptoms. For most, however, the lactose intolerance is weak, symptoms show up only after large quantities of milk or ice cream.

What exactly is lactose intolerance?

When lactose intolerance is occurring in the milk products milk sugar, lactose, to the problem. Since not enough lactase (an enzyme) is formed in the small intestine, the lactose can not be broken down and passes undigested into the large intestine. It irritates the intestinal mucosa and causes the typical for lactose intolerance symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain also bloating.

Who suffers after drinking milk, cream or ice cream from abdominal pain, should be examined as a precaution to the doctor on a lactose intolerance. Before the visit, the symptoms should be recorded when they occurred and what was eaten before. The doctor then makes a painless breath test, which confirmed the intolerance or exclude.

To suffer from lactose intolerance does not mean that one must never again eat ice cream or cheese. Most people have mild lactose intolerance and show mild symptoms or none at all, depending on the amount and foods. Individual must be found which is as tolerated. For those who want to enjoy an ice milk without a stomach ache, there are in the pharmacy also lactase tablets, which are taken before meals and help the intestine while to digest the images captured with the dairy sugar.4

Lactose Intolerance: Symptoms

Lactose intolerance, the bad treaties of milk and milk products is characterized by a few typical symptoms also can occur hours later after a few minutes, though. Can be provided without medical examination and lactose-test therefore no conclusive diagnosis.

These symptoms are typical of a lactose intolerance:

• Bloating
• Crampy abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Bloating

In these foods puts lactose

Lactose is in almost all milk products – but in different amounts.

These foods contain very much lactose:

• Cow’s milk
• Evaporated milk
• Milk powder
• Ice cream
• Quark
• Junket
• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Buttermilk
• Cream
• Creme fraiche

Hard cheese is lactose free. Also fermented milk products such as yogurt or kefir are often well tolerated.

How useful are lactose-free foods?

The supermarket shelves swell now on with all the lactose-free foods available. From milk to cream, yogurt, and even the lactose-free cheese.

For people with very severe lactose intolerance these foods are great. All those who show only mild symptoms, can save the money and would rather try first, which amounts to the normal milk products they easily tolerated. Yogurt, for example caused by many no problems.

Milk protein allergy – Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance – milk protein allergy; but everything is the same, right? No, unfortunately not. The symptoms are similar, but the cause of the problem is different.

In lactose intolerance, so the lactose intolerance, the lactose is not merely tolerated. If removed from the milk, as is the case with lactose-free products, you can eat these foods well. Or make possible the consumption of milk and ice by taking lactase tablets.

In milk protein allergy is a true allergy. The body responds to the protein contained in the milk. Here, the only complete avoidance of milk-food. Caution before finished products, which often contain milk powder and milk protein.