Lactose Intolerance And Your Health

Recently, a young female patient came to me described to me what she said was a food allergy. She said "whenever I eat certain foods, I get cramps, diarrhea and nausea." I asked her what was the food she was reacting to and she answered me, " cheese, yogurt and milk."She said "I never had this happen to me before."I told her that she was lactose intolerant and explained to her that most cases first develop in people aged 20 to 40. Rarely, do they happen in babies or even young children. And that it affects both sexes equally.It also appears that certain racial and ethnic groups are affected more than others, including 80% of African-Americans, Jews, Mexicans, Native Americans, as well as 90% of Asians.An interesting article by the Cleveland Clinic website described lactose intolerance as "the inability to digest lactose, the sugar primarily found in milk and dairy products. It is caused by a shortage of lactase in the body, an enzyme produced by the small intestine that is needed to digest lactose."Symptoms include but are not limited to: abdominal bloating, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, gas (flatulence) and nausea.The New York Times Health Guide says that "other intestinal problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, may cause the same symptoms as lactose intolerance. Tests to help diagnose lactose intolerance include: lactose-hydrogen breath test, lactose tolerance test, and stool pH."Treatment for lactose intolerance varies from cutting down or removing dairy products from your diet, to adding lactase enzymes in the form of capsules or chewable tablets to your diet. Since not consuming milk may cause a Vitamin D deficiency, you need 1,000-1,500 mg of calcium each day depending on your medical profile.You should contact a medical professional if you or your child's symptoms of lactose intolerance get worse or do not improve with the above-mentioned treatment or develop new symptoms. Also if you have an infant younger than 2 or 3 years old who exhibits symptoms and if your child is growing slowly and not gaining weight.Learn more http://www.nycallergydoctor.com/milk-allergy/