Lactose intolerance - what is it and how to deal with it?

You must've heard of this condition so far. You have heard that people suffering from this disorder have to avoid milk and dairy products, otherwise, they will not be able to leave the house for the next two days.

This is mostly true. In the following text, I will try to explain to you the mechanism of the occurrence of this disorder, as well as how people can cope with this pathology.

What is lactose?

Lactose is milk sugar. Although it can be found in other foods, the largest quantity is found in milk and dairy products.
Lactose is a disaccharide, i.e. a larger sugar composed of two smaller sugars, glucose and galactose.
Glucose and galactose can be resorbed from the gut into the body. Lactose cannot.

That's why we have lactase in the intestines, an enzyme that disintegrates lactose into these two minor components.
However, people with lactose intolerance have either a reduced amount of lactase or don't have lactase in general. This results in the inability to decompose this milk sugar.

And now you're probably wondering why are all the symptoms of lactose intolerance occurring when lactose just passes through the body.

It's not like that. Remember that there are bacteria in the intestines. Bacteria like sugars. Bacteria will break down lactose, but not in this precise, cool way as human lactose would.
It will be broken down in such a way that there will be a lot of gases and substances that irritate the intestines. Hence the appearance of diarrhea, gases, and cramps.

What is the cause of lactose intolerance?

The exact cause is still unknown, but it is known that genetic factors have a major impact. There are people who have transient lactose intolerance due to some other bowel disease (eg Crohn's disease).
It is even possible for infants to have transient intolerances due to inadequate synthesis of this enzyme, which naturally corrects with aging.
However, keep in mind that most cases of intolerance are detected in infants. When the first signs of inflammation became noticeable, it is NECESSARY TO TAKE YOU CHILDREN TO THE DOCTOR. INTERNET AND BLOG POSTS (LIKE THIS ONE AND ALL OTHERS) WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REPLACE A VISIT TO YOUR DOCTOR.

What to eat I have lactose intolerance?

If you have a partial lactase deficiency, you can have very small amounts of dairy products, never to an empty stomach. There are numerous lactose-free products on the market, like bacteria-enriched yogurt that can help with this condition. You can also use hard cheeses that contain very small (almost none) quantities of lactose.

If you are absolutely intolerant to lactose, there are a number of soy-based products that serve as a substitute for dairy products.

It is important for both types of patients to choose products that are fortified with calcium. One of the main problems that occur in patients with lactose intolerance is the lack of calcium and subsequently osteoporosis. That's why it is very important to consume foods that are used as substitutes for dairy products and which are fortified with calcium.

For infants, special formulations are made instead of breast milk, which are also enriched with various nutrients.

If you see any benefit in this post, please run it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me :)