All about lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is a very common digestive problem when a person’s body is unable to digest lactose, a type of sugar found mainly in milk and dairy products.

In some form, around three-quarters of the world’s adult population are believed to be lactose intolerant. 

Lactose intolerance can develop at any age, often doing so between the ages of 20 and 40.

In people with lactose intolerance, lactose causes unpleasant symptoms. In such people, lactase is either completely absent in the body, or produced in very small quantities. In this regard, the human body is not able to process the lactose contained in milk. The absence or deficiency of lactase interferes with the digestion of lactose in the intestines and thereby stimulates bacterial growth in it. Characteristic signs of lactose intolerance are unquenchable thirst and various digestive disorders, manifested in the form of diarrhea, bloating and pain in the abdomen after the consumption of milk and dairy products.

Unlike people with milk allergies, people with lactose intolerance can eat a wide range of lactose-free dairy products. The latter are well tolerated by many dairy products, including hard cheese, since the lactose in these products is already naturally decomposed.

Most cases that develop in adults have a genetic origin and tend to be lifelong, while cases in children are often caused by an infection in their gut and may last only a few weeks. The permanent cases are usually caused by what is known as primary lactase deficiency, an incapacity to produce the enzyme lactase caused by genetic factors. Secondary lactase deficiency is when a shortage of lactase is caused by another health condition or the use of certain medications.

How do you know if you are lactose intolerant?

 Symptoms of lactose intolerance usually appear within a few hours of consuming a food or drink that contains lactose. These symptoms may include:

Flatulence

Diarrhoea

Constipation (methane can slow the time it takes for food to pass through the gut)

A bloated stomach

Stomach cramping and pain

Stomach rumbling

Nausea

Once you've been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, you'll need to follow a special diet by making changes to your diet, reducing or avoiding foods and drinks that contain lactose.