The best thing about being alive on this planet is to have the opportunity of satisfying your palate with all kinds of foods. However, not everyone is lucky enough to have such freedom. Some people wanted to eat everything that they want but they are financially incapacitated. Other people have all the money and resources but they cannot feel the luxury of eating anything they wish for due to certain medical conditions. One of the well-known health disorders that require set up for a special diet is lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance is a gastrointestinal ailment by which the affected individual is not capable of metabolizing lactose, a form of sugar present in most dairy products, animals (i.e. goat, cow) and humans’ breast milk. Mostly, lactose-intolerant people experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as loose bowel movement, stomach cramps and abdominal flatulence after consuming lactose-containing foods or drinks. This is caused by insufficient production or complete absence of the enzyme lactase in the body. This enzyme helps in lactose digestion to make such sugar absorbable into the blood circulation. Hence, affected individuals suffer from GI upset because lactose remains undigested and this invites bad microorganisms to proliferate in the colon causing inflammation.
Therefore, lactose intolerant individuals are prohibited from consuming most dairy products and other foods or drinks that contain lactose. In fact, breast milk is contraindicated for infants with this digestive disorder because such milk is rich in lactose.
Other products that usually contain lactose are as follows:
1. Cheese
2. Ice cream
3. Yogurt
4. Butter
5. Animals’ milk or other milk products
6. Salad cream
7. Mayonnaise
Furthermore, the manifestation of lactose intolerance varies from every individual. Some can tolerate a small amount of lactose while others cannot manage an intake of products with lactose-content, not even a pinch of it. In response, one of the innovations in science is production of dairy products that are lactose-free including infant milk-formula. Thus, always check the product label for specifications. In fact, soya-based milk gained popularity from mothers with lactose intolerant babies and even those who grew up with the disorder. However, other products are refined by removing portions of lactose from them.
An arising nutritional problem in lactose intolerance is insufficient intake of the mineral, Calcium, which is mainly important for maintaining healthy bones. This mineral is popularly known to be available in dairy products, particularly milk. Thus, most people intolerant to lactose battle for Calcium deficiency.
On the other hand, everybody must come into awareness that there are alternative foods that can be used as sources of Calcium. They are indeed lactose-free including:
1. Soymilk
2. Canned fish with edible bones like sardines and salmon
3. Dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and lettuce
4. Orange
5. Other food products fortified with Calcium
Diet for lactose intolerance is a little frustrating for those who find happiness in consuming dairy foods. The said disorder may develop later during adulthood while most cases starts from infancy. Overall, it is a personal choice whether a person would rather suffer manifestations of lactose intolerance than give up the dairies. However, the top priority is wellness and prevention of medical complications from intake of lactose-containing foods.
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