Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a term used to describe a set of symptoms which are caused by the body not being able to digest lactose properly.
Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar found in dairy foods. It is normally broken down or digested by the body using an enzyme called lactase, and ends up in the bloodstream as blood glucose. In people with lactose intolerance, they don't have enough lactase to properly digest lactose, resulting in lactose intolerance. People can have varying degrees of lactose intolerance. It is very common among people from Asia, Africa, Middle East, some Mediterranean countries and Australian Aborigines. In Caucasians, approximately 1 in 20 people have lactose intolerance to some degree.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance can include:
- diarrhoea
- stomach cramps
- bloating
- excessive flatulence
These symptoms can also be related to many other conditions, so it is always a good idea to discuss your symptoms with a GP before reducing dairy products in your diet. If you are diagnosed with lactose intolerance, an
Accredited Practising Dietitian can help you plan an appropriate eating plan to ensure you are not missing out on important nutrients such as calcium. This is particularly important for children.
Some people with lactose intolerance still produce a small amount of lactase. If you have lactose intolerance, it is not necessary to completely remove dairy products from your diet. You may tolerate smaller portions of lactose containing foods. Some dairy foods contain smaller amounts of lactose and may be able to be eaten without symptoms occurring.
Smart eating tips for managing lactose intolerance in adults
- Drink milk in smaller quantities. Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate ˝ cup milk at a time. Full cream milk is generally better tolerated than low fat or calcium enriched milks.
- Spread lactose containing foods out during the day and eat them with other foods, rather than eating them all at once.
- Yoghurt is low in lactose as the natural bacteria in yoghurt breakdown the lactose and so yoghurt can generally be included without any symptoms
- Hard cheeses (such as cheddar) are low in lactose and can generally be eaten without any symptoms.
- You can now buy milk (such as Lactaid or Zymil) which has the lactose broken down already.
- You can buy enzyme drops for a chemist to add to regular milk to make it easier to digest.
- Lactose can also be an ingredient in many processed foods such as biscuits and cakes, cheese sauce, cream soups and custards. Check the ingredient list for ingredients such as milk solids, non-fat milk solids, whey and milk sugar.
- Soy products do not contain any lactose and can be a suitable substitute for dairy products, providing they have calcium added.
