Proper nutrition in the case of lactose intolerance
More and more people suffer from lactose intolerance. The symptoms of this intolerance are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. While intolerance used to lead to avoiding dairy products, today you can eat wonderfully lactose-free with new products.
Lactose intolerance means that the milk sugar, also known as lactose, from body cannot be tolerated. Sufficient lactase is produced in the intestines of a healthy person; this enzyme has the task of breaking down lactose during normal digestion so that it can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. In the case of lactose intolerance, this digestive enzyme may either not be produced at all or not in sufficient quantities due to a gene variation. The milk sugar is not broken down in the small intestine, it moves on to the large intestine, where bacteria then try to process the lactose by forming gas. This leads to abdominal cramps in the patient, Flatulence, nausea and strong pains. Depending on how much lactase the body can still produce itself, the symptoms also vary from patient to patient.
Since more and more people from one Lactose intolerance are affected, the industry has now responded. While a few years ago you had to completely avoid products containing lactose, today there are many dairy products with a reduced lactose value. With a slight lactose intolerance you can lead a normal life nowadays.
The lactose intolerance test
- If you often suffer from the above symptoms, you should test yourself for lactose intolerance.
- Lactose intolerance can occur suddenly.
- For the lactose intolerance test, you should avoid all dairy and lactose-containing products for a while. Then gradually add one product at a time to your diet. You can then pretty much determine which products you are responding to.
- The test can also be carried out by a doctor. To do this, you will also have to avoid lactose-containing products for a few days. You will then be given a lactose solution to drink and your complaints and your blood sugar recorded. Your doctor will then evaluate the results and can tell you precisely whether you are lactose intolerant and what to look out for in order to get your symptoms under control.
Many people react with nausea, bowel noises and flatulence.
Help with lactose intolerance
- You can buy lactase-containing chewable tablets or capsules from the drugstore or pharmacy. Take it according to the package leaflet. The lactase in the tablets then breaks down the lactose from the food.
- Milk substitute products can be purchased in drugstores or, in the meantime, in supermarkets. An example of this would be soy milk. It tastes a little different to normal milk, but it is easily digestible and tasty.
- Many supermarkets also offer a wide range of low-lactose products. You can get almost anything from milk, cheese and yoghurt to cream and various types of puddings.
- Note that lactose can also be present as an additive in medication. If you suspect that you are lactose intolerant, you should inform your doctor about this. He can then provide you with lactose-free substitute medication.
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