Lactose Intolerance Information And Lactose Free Diet Plans

Lactose intolerance: Some people are lactose intolerant and they need to choose food products that do not have any lactose. What is lactose intolerance? In lactose intolerance, the small intestines cannot digest lactose. Lactose is present in the sugar or carbohydrates in milk as well as in other dairy products like soft cheeses, ice cream, butter, and yoghurt.

Causes of lactose intolerance: There is an enzyme called lactase that digests the lactose in the small intestines. Lactase helps the body to break down the lactose into galactose and glucose, two simple sugars.

These sugars are then absorbed by the intestine and give energy to the body.

Lactose Free Diet Plans

Since every person has a different level of lactase in their intestines, the symptom of lactose intolerance also vary – some people suffer from severe symptoms, while others suffer from mild symptoms. The symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, flatulence, bloated stomach, and general discomfort.

It is believed that nobody is born with total intolerance to lactose, and some people develop lactose intolerance later in their lives.

Lactose free diet: A person, who is intolerant to lactose, must avoid food products that are rich in lactose. To begin with, do not eat foods that have the highest content of lactose. If you get over your lactose intolerance, then you can reintroduce food products with small amounts of lactose in them. If you or a family member suffers from lactose intolerance, we suggest that you monitor your or the affected individual’s symptoms and see the level of intolerance to lactose. Generally, even people with severe lactose intolerance, can eat foods with very little lactose.

Lactose substitutes: The first thing that any person with lactose intolerance should do is find substitutes for the food products with lactose. To do this, we suggest that you speak with a nutritionist and find out, which foods are rich in lactose, and which foods have lower quantities of lactose. Replace the food products with high lactose content with substitutes.

Soy milk, ice creams and yoghurts that are lactose free make for good substitutes. Look for food products that are calcium enriched. You might even want to use powdered soy milk that can be added to desserts, sauces, and cakes. You might even like to use milk products that are low in lactose. You might want to use enzyme drops in dairy products to help you digest the lactose.

Submitted on January 16, 2014