Gut Feeling: Breaking Down Lactose Intolerance
- Dr. Dooreck with Gurpinder Bahia
- May 31
- 4 min read
Lactose intolerance affects many people worldwide; some don't even know they're lactose intolerant. This blog post explains the causes, symptoms, and ways to manage lactose intolerance.
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Private Healthcare Navigation and Patient Advocacy when YOU need it mostHave you ever felt an upset stomach after drinking a glass of milk or having a milkshake?
Good news, you are not alone.
About 65% of the world's population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.
Lactose intolerance is widespread among East Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans, reflecting a significant variation in the ability to process lactose across different ethnic groups. This condition arises due to a decrease in the production of lactase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. As individuals age, particularly after weaning from breast milk, the body often reduces lactase production, leading to difficulty in digesting lactose.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance can vary in severity among individuals. They may include bloating, characterized by a sensation of fullness or swelling in the abdomen, diarrhea, which can be watery and frequent, gas, which may lead to discomfort and embarrassment, and stomach discomfort, which can range from mild cramping to intense pain. These symptoms typically occur within a few hours after consuming lactose-containing foods or beverages, making it clear that lactose intolerance can significantly impact one’s quality of life.
Although there is no way to “cure” this condition, you can take steps to manage and alleviate the symptoms associated with lactose intolerance effectively.
First, let's explore the causes of lactose intolerance and how it can be identified.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance occurs when your body can't break down lactose.
Lactose is a natural sugar found in dairy products like milk and cheese. To digest these foods, your body has to break the sugar down. There is an enzyme in your body called lactase that does this. However, some people lack sufficient lactase to break down all the lactose. When this happens, the lactose moves from the small intestine into the large intestine, which is what causes feelings of bloating and an upset stomach. Too little of an enzyme produced in your small intestine (lactase) is usually responsible for lactose intolerance. You can have low levels of lactase and still be able to digest milk products. But if your levels are too low, you become lactose intolerant, leading to symptoms after you eat or drink dairy.
What causes lactose intolerance?
When you're a baby who gets all your nutrition from milk, your body produces a lot of lactase to digest it. However, lactase production naturally decreases as you age and replace milk with other foods. This is entirely natural. For some people, however, lactase levels become too low, and they can no longer digest dairy easily.
Other medical conditions, such as Crohn's disease, can also trigger lactose intolerance.
Sometimes, this can be genetic.
Some people are unable to produce lactase enzymes, even in infancy. Evolutionarily, countries that have historically consumed more milk in their diets got better at tolerating it.
How is lactose intolerance diagnosed?
You may suffer from lactose intolerance if you experience constipation, diarrhea, bloating, excessive gas, and stomach pain after consuming dairy products.
Your gastroenterologist can confirm this in different ways, such as:
Hydrogen Breath Test: You will drink a liquid with a lot of lactose and have the hydrogen in your breath measured shortly after. Higher levels of hydrogen will indicate lactose intolerance.
Lactose Tolerance Test: You will drink a liquid with a lot of lactose and, two hours later, have your blood tested for glucose levels. Glucose levels that stay the same will indicate lactose intolerance.
Stool Acidity Test: A stool acidity test can be used for infants or children and will determine if lactic and other acids were created from the undigested lactose in the body.
How do I manage being lactose intolerant?
Some people with lactose intolerance can still eat small amounts of dairy products without getting sick.
Many people can take lactase pills or drops before eating, such as Lactaid or Dairy Ease, which allow them to digest dairy products. There are also many lactose-free alternatives to dairy products!
Here's one of the many resources available to help guide you.
Read the American Society for Nutrition's breakdown of some plant-based milk alternatives here.
If you are lactose intolerant, you should talk with your doctor about how to avoid calcium or vitamin D deficiencies.
⛔️ It is always advised to speak to your doctor 🥼 directly and make clinical decisions with them 👨⚕️ or her 👩⚕️ regarding medications or testing.
You can also ask a licensed nutritionist (LN) or a registered dietitian (RD).
Here are some takeaways on this from a public health point of view:
Eat low-fermented dairy products like yogurt and cheese to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
Soy, almond, oat, and coconut milk are great milk alternatives, as soy has high protein, and coconut milk is low-fat.
Opt for dairy-free yogurt options! They are high in protein and contain probiotics that are great for the gut!
Overall
Lactose intolerance doesn't have to dictate your life. By maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, you can prevent symptoms and discomfort.
Personally
I eat a high-fiber, mostly plant-based 🌱 diet, avoid red meat, drink 4 liters of water a day, exercise regularly, and am focused on keeping my nutrition simple. I am sharing what works for me and what I routinely recommend to my patients.
"Balance. Portion control. Keep nutrition simple. Eat Smart. Eat Healthy. 🌱 🌾 🌿"
Gut Health ➕ Patient Advocacy with Navigation ➕ Life Balance
If you were looking for information about Private Healthcare Navigation and Patient Advocacy from Executive Health NavigationClick here for Executive Health Navigation✴ Connect with Dr. Dooreck on LinkedIn, where he focuses his sharing on Health, Diet, Nutrition, Exercise, Lifestyle, and Balance.
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