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Do you find yourself sneezing in spring or fall from the onslaught of pollen? Do you get funky red rashes whenever you eat kiwis? Then you know what it feels like to have an allergy. Whereas the mentioned allergies are caused by fairly easily defined agents, those who suffer from lactose intolerance are threatened by a largely invisible foe. Milk and the milk sugar lactose can of course be found in all dairy products but are also frequently used, in less obvious ways, as as an additive in a variety of food and drink products.
Here's a short list of products which often contain 'hidden' lactose, i.e. as a food additive:
- sausages (especially hot dogs)
- margarine
- cereal
- chips
- processed Foods
- medications
- protein powders/bars
A counterintuitive fact which might be good to know is that low fat dairy products usually contain greater amounts of lactose.
What happens when a lactose intolerant person consumes products containing the milk sugar? Lactose intolerance is a condition in which the human body fails to produce lactase, an enzyme needed to properly metabolize (i.e. break down food and convert it into energy) lactose. Often mistaken for an allergy against milk, in reality lactose intolerance is a lack of the enzyme lactase. An actual allergic reaction to milk results from an abnormal immune response and is much less frequent.
Without the enzyme lactase the human body is unable to metabolize lactose. Instead of being absorbed into the blood stream through the intestinal walls, the milk sugar remains in the intestines. This in turn
causes internal bacteria to adjust to the great amount of lactose present and to switch over to metabolizing lactose. Along the way they produce great amounts of gas by fermentation in relation to food it refers to the conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids under anaerobic (w/o air) conditions used for making certain foods. In biochemistry it refers to the process of energy production in all cells under anaerobic conditions. The gas can cause a range of painful abdominal symptoms in lactose intolerant people, including stomach cramps, bloating, flatulence and diarrhea. Lactose raises the osmotic pressure of the colon contents, preventing the colon from reabsorbing water and hence causing a laxative effect to add to the excessive gas production.
There is no "cure" to lactose intolerance. It is possible to manage the intolerance by trying to avoid as much as possible products which contain lactose. While this may be inconvenient, it is the most effective way of reducing the painful reactions to lactose. A study by Purdue University found that consuming small amounts of lactose on a daily basis over a couple of weeks might condition the intestinal bacteria to metabolize lactose more efficiently.
When you live in a largely lactose tolerant society, you may think that lactose intolerance is a condition which affects only certain minority populations. In fact, many studies estimate that up to 70% of adult humans are lactose intolerant.
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