What is lactose intolerance

Secondary Lactose Intolerance Secondary lactose intolerance is rare. Bottom Line: Primary lactose intolerance is common and involves reduced lactase production with age.

What Are the Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance? If not managed properly, lactose intolerance can cause severe digestive problems. The most common symptoms are 3 , 7 , 8 : Bloating Abdominal cramps Gas Diarrhea Some people also experience urgency to go to the toilet, nausea, vomiting, pain in the lower belly and occasionally constipation.

Bottom Line: Lactose intolerance can cause digestive problems. Which Foods Contain Lactose? Lactose is found in dairy foods and products that contain dairy. Bottom Line: Dairy products contain lactose. Bottom Line: Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of lactose. Good Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium. The recommended intake for calcium is 1, mg per day. Some good non-dairy sources of calcium include: Calcium-fortified foods: There are many calcium-fortified foods, including juices, breads and non-dairy milks such as almond , soy or oat milk.

Shake the carton before use, since the calcium can settle on the bottom. Boned fish: Canned fish with bones, such as sardines or whitebait, are high in calcium. High-calcium plants foods: Many plant foods contain reasonable amounts of calcium. However, this calcium is often poorly absorbed due to the presence of antinutrients like phytate and oxalate. Treatments for Lactose Intolerance.

Nevertheless, lactase enzyme supplements may be very effective for some people. Lactose Exposure If you are lactose intolerant, regularly including lactose in your diet could help your body adapt to it Probiotics and Prebiotics Probiotics are microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed Bottom Line: There are several ways to reduce lactose intolerance, including enzyme supplements, lactose exposure and eating probiotics or prebiotics.

Take Home Message. Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of dairy. Just make sure to include other sources of calcium to get everything you need. Read this next. The 9 Best Nondairy Substitutes for Milk. The 8 Most Common Food Intolerances. Nondairy Substitutes for 7 Common Dairy Products.

Learn more. Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products. This condition often runs in families and can affect both children and adults. Symptoms vary from person to person, but may include: gas , diarrhea , bloating, belly pains and nausea.

There is no treatment for lactose intolerance, but symptoms can be managed through diet changes. Lactose intolerance is when your body can't break down or digest lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in milk and milk products. Lactose intolerance happens when your small intestine does not make enough of a digestive enzyme called lactase.

Lactase breaks down the lactose in food so your body can absorb it. People who are lactose intolerant have unpleasant symptoms after eating or drinking milk or milk products. These symptoms include bloating, diarrhea and gas. Both children and adults can have lactose intolerance. Here are some common causes of this condition:. Symptoms often start about 30 minutes to 2 hours after you have food or drinks that have lactose. How severe your symptoms are will depend on how much lactose you have ingested and how much lactase your body makes.

The symptoms of lactose intolerance may look like those of other health problems. Always see your healthcare provider to be sure. Your healthcare provider will talk to you about your past health and family history. He or she will give you a physical exam. You may be asked not to have any milk or milk products for a short time to see if your symptoms get better. 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.

This causes symptoms such as a rash, wheezing and itching. If you're allergic to something, even a tiny particle can be enough to trigger a reaction, while most people with lactose intolerance can still consume small amounts of lactose without experiencing any problems, although this varies from person to person.

There's no cure for lactose intolerance, but cutting down on food and drink containing lactose usually helps to control the symptoms.

Your GP may also recommend calcium and vitamin D supplements. You may be advised to take lactase substitutes, which are drops or tablets you can take with your meals or drinks to improve your digestion of lactose. Milk and other dairy products contain calcium, protein and vitamins, such as A, B12 and D. Lactose also helps your body absorb a number of other minerals, such as magnesium and zinc.

These vitamins and minerals are important for the development of strong, healthy bones. If you're lactose intolerant, getting the right amount of important vitamins and minerals can prove difficult. This may lead to unhealthy weight loss and put you at increased risk of developing the following conditions:. This is referred to as congenital lactose intolerance. In this case, your baby will be intolerant of breast milk. They will have diarrhea as soon as human milk or a formula containing lactose is introduced.

The diarrhea can cause dehydration and electrolyte loss. The condition can be treated easily by giving the baby a lactose-free infant formula instead of milk. Occasionally, a type of lactose intolerance called developmental lactose intolerance occurs when a baby is born prematurely.

This is because lactase production in the baby begins later in the pregnancy, after at least 34 weeks. The symptoms of lactose intolerance typically occur between 30 minutes and two hours after eating or drinking a milk or dairy product.

Symptoms may include:. The symptoms can range from mild to severe. The severity depends on how much lactose was consumed and how much lactase the person has actually made. Confirmatory tests measure lactase activity in the body. These tests include:. A hydrogen breath test measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath after consuming a drink high in lactose. If your body is unable to digest the lactose, the bacteria in your intestine will break it down instead.

The process by which bacteria break down sugars like lactose is called fermentation. Fermentation releases hydrogen and other gases. These gases are absorbed and eventually exhaled. This test is more often done in infants and children. It measures the amount of lactic acid in a stool sample. Lactic acid accumulates when bacteria in the intestine ferment the undigested lactose. Treatment for lactose intolerance involves decreasing or completely removing milk products from the diet.

Lactose-free milk products can also be found at most supermarkets.