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Lactose Intolerance Remedies

Which milk products are healthy and can be consumed by people with lactose allergy?
(May 10, 2010)

Ever felt you’ve bloated right after you’ve had a glass of milk? There’s no need to panic. You are among the millions of people who are lactose intolerant. Almost about 70% of the world cannot get by a glass of milk without getting an upset stomach. Lactose intolerance is genetic.


It happens to a lot of people in Asia, African and the Mediterranean. Many people with this condition don't even know that they have it. Some are even misdiagnosed as having a very serious bowel disease. Do not believe that you have a serious bowel disorder until you are sure that milk is not to be blamed.

How much of a problem milk can cause depends a lot on the severity of your lactase deficiency. A lot of people with lactose intolerance still drink a single glass of milk without  any problems. Lactose intolerance is caused in men and women due to a deficiency of the enzyme, lactase, which is needed to digest lactose (milk sugar). The undigested lactose lingers in the intestine and then ferments. This causes intestinal discomfort, which includes abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhoea.
Here are a few things you can try out with milk products:

  • Drink very small quantities of milk  at one go.
  • Always drink milk with meals.
  • Use Lactaid every time you eat dairy. It is an enzyme that helps digest lactose in milk products.
  • Have special milk products such as Lacteeze or some other ‘Lactose-free milk’. These have lactose reduced by 99%. Some of these milk products have lactose only partially reduced – so make sure, before you make a purchase.
  • For infants with lactose intolerance, try only Lactose-free infant formulas.
  • You can try calcium-fortified soy milk for good calcium intake.
  • Have calcium-fortified orange juice if you’re worried about you calcium fix.
  • Eat dairy products that are naturally low in lactose. Try swiss cheese and cottage cheese.
  • Watch out for non-dairy commercial products. These may contain lactose. If the ingredients include any of the following items, it has lactose: Curds, whey, milk by-products, non-fat, dry milk solids, and dry milk powder.
One trusted and very say way to go about this condition is Yogurt. Some studies have shown that some of the live bacterial cultures found in yogurt help lactose digestion. However, frozen yogurt does not have the same effect on a lot of people, and may still cause stomach problems.
Submitted by M S on May 10, 2010 at 06:55

 

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