Dr. Mercola's Top 3 Recommended Supplements
Discover Dr. Mercola's top 3 supplements that will help you achieve optimal health: Krill Oil, Probiotics and Ubiquinol. These antioxidants will help maintain your great overall health and support your immune system.
Lactose - Tolerant or Intolerance?
Found in milk, lactose is a natural sugar that some digestive systems are not able to breakdown enough for the body to absorb it. An enzyme called Lactase is found in the small intestine that helps one's body to absorb the lactose. When a body is deficient in lactase, the person is considered lactose intolerant.
Interestingly enough, some individuals can tolerate lactose to a certain extent but only in very small quantities. This is very helpful to know because it will help in deciding which foods needs to be totally removed from your diet and which foods you can eat in small amounts. This is helpful if you tend to eat out a lot or if your local grocer doesn't carry lactose free foods.
The number of people who are intolerant fluctuates between who is counting the numbers. A good estimation is that 60 to 70 percent of the world's population has this dysfunction. Many don't realize that they even have this condition; since the symptoms are similar to that of other medical issues, they misdiagnose themselves and mistreat the condition.
Don't self-diagnose
If you experience gas, abdominal pain and even diarrhea you could be have an intolerance to lactose.. If you are experiencing itching, hives, swelling, a runny nose or perhaps difficulty breathing you could be allergic to milk. Or you could just be experiencing other digestive issues; if you have any concerns, you should consult with your medical practitioner.
If you believe that you are intolerant to lactose but really aren't and you change your diet, you could in fact do more harm than good. Sure eating foods that are lactose-free is good but if the root of the medical issue you are experiencing is not properly treated, the symptoms will continue and you will feel that nothing is working. This in fact would be true, so talk with your doctor.
How much is too much?
In this section of the article, we will discuss the different content levels of certain dairy products. This will give you an idea of the amounts of lactose that certain foods contain. We will review three different levels; low which is zero to 3 grams, medium which is 4 to 9 grams and high which is 10 to 20 grams.
For those who have a low tolerance, you could eat:
- 1/2 cup sherbet
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1 Tablespoon whipped cream
- 1 teaspoon butter
For those who have a medium tolerance, you could eat:
- 1/2 cup ice cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup goats milk
For those who have a high tolerance, you could eat:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1cup Eggnog
The amounts that are noted above are strictly guidelines. If you have any concerns whatsoever, you should consult with your doctor. There are tests that can be ran to determine your tolerance level so you know exactly where your body stands and what you need to do to resolve any issues. Lactose is important, but your health is more important.
