Pages

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Myths and truths of lactose intolerance

Has that after eating a piece of cheese or drinking a glass of milk you feel bloated or have severe abdominal pain happened?

If your answer is affirmative and attributed these symptoms to a gastritis or irritable you might be wrong categorically. It is likely that you case of lactose intolerance, "a very common disease, affecting nearly 60% of the", says Vidaintegra, Dr. David Kutz gastroenterologist.

The myths

Myth 1: lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency in the enzyme lactose.

Real. "Lactose intolerance occurs when the intestine does not produce enough of the enzyme lactose. Enzymes help the body to absorb nutrients. Babies produce this enzyme, because milk is the only food that can be consumed. Eventually we started to include other foods in our diet, so the lactose is losing,"explains Dr. Kutz, Vidaintegra gastroenterologist.

Myth 2: it is recommended that youth and adults consume no dairy products.

False. Although about 60% of suffer them from lactose intolerance, specialist says that "it must continue consuming milk to protect bones, since dairy products are generally the best source of calcium".

Myth 3: the lactose intolerance has symptoms similar to of the irritable bowel syndrome.

Real. Symptoms, explains the gastroenterologist, are: "abdominal distention (bloating), bloating, can sometimes be accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea." There are even patients who show both pictures, so is looking for the best treatment to relieve symptoms".

Myth 4: you feel it is urgent to consult.

False. You are advised to consult with a specialist "when there is gastrointestinal disturbances affecting the quality of life". There are people who live together without problems with lactose intolerance because the symptoms are unnoticeable or are not significant.

Myth 5: eliminating dairy from the diet the symptoms disappear.

Real. "If not already consumed lactose, there are no symptoms," adds. However, these people should worry of calcium in other ways. "There are lactose-free food," explains Kutz, and adds that another alternative of treatment are capsules of lactose taken before eating dairy.


Myth 6: lactose intolerance may develop into cancer.

False. The specialist explains that lactose intolerance is not a serious problem and is emphatic in pointing out that "it is not impossible that other disease turns on cancer or. Lactose intolerance produces only upset - which can be major or minor - but does not mean no risk."

Myth 7: children do not suffer from lactose intolerance.

False. Although it is not often that a minor present lactose intolerance, it is possible. There are even children who are born with a deficiency of this enzyme, so it can not eat dairy, even breast milk. How to identify it? The specialist explained that "we must be attentive to the child, for example, after drinking milk it may be diarrhea and swelling".

Myth 8: the dairy, the milk is having more lactose.
Real. All dairy products and their derivatives (yogurt, cheese, cheese, cream, etc.) have lactose "milk is the higher amount of lactose has, regardless of whether it is whole or skim", says Kutz.

Myth 9: drink milk or calcium supplements is the same.

False. "Calcium in tablets is not the same as that you ingest in milk", designates the gastroenterologist of Vidaintegra, and adds that of milk, the fat has more calcium.

Myth 10: there are different degrees of lactose intolerance.

Real. "The lactose intolerance is suffering in children is not the same that we have of adult, also the world this problem has different nuances: Asians most suffer from lactose intolerance because from very small stop consuming milk, while in Europe this problem is less".

On the other hand, "some people can drink a cup of milk without symptoms, but others have difficulties taking only a SIP. Over time the patient will learn how much milk or other dairy products can be consumed without unwanted consequences,"added Vidaintegra specialist.

How to live with the lactose intolerance?

• Know the foods that contain lactose.

Lactose is in most dairy products, baked goods and processed foods as bread, dry cereal, candy, cookies, salad dressing, soups made with milk, mixtures of drinks and foods like pizza and lasagna.

• Pay attention to food labels.

On food labels, there is a list of ingredients in order of the amount in which they are in the food. If the milk is first on the list, you know that this product contains mostly milk. If you're lactose intolerant it is likely that you should avoid eating it or eat it in small quantities.

• If lactose deficiency is partial, you can take small amounts of milk (maximum one glass, according to tolerance) without causing disorders. In this case dairy testing with small portions of products. If you can tolerate them, perhaps you are able to add more dairy products little by little. Adding dairy products slowly, you'll know how much lactose your body can handle.

• Enjoy dairy products with non-dairy products. Combine dairy products with other foods reduces the way in which the lactose enters the body.

• Be aware that certain dairy products have less lactose than others. For example, the cheese and yogurt usually contain less lactose that milk.

• For calcium, prefers milk and lactose-free yogurts and a varied diet, including Greens (chard, spinach, broccoli etc) vegetables, fish such as salmon and sardines, and calcium-enriched orange juice.

• Ask your doctor for calcium supplements.

No comments:

Post a Comment