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Got Milk? Got Gas? Got Lactose Intolerance?
We continue to hear about the nutritional benefits of lowfat diary such as:
* Calcium & Protein
Depending on the dairy item in question, it can have pretty impressive levels of two nutritional components many of us need more of: calcium and protein.
* Some dairy is fortified with vitamin D
Many different types of milk are fortified with vitamin D and now some yogurt manufacturers are joining in. Vitamin D is an important vitamin and yet many of us just don't seem to get enough in our daily diet.
* Possibly boosts bone density
Getting your calcium from food rather than supplements seems to do your bones good.
* Possibly less likely to develop high blood pressure
Researchers in Spain studied over 5,000 adults between 20 and 90 years of age and found that the people who reported consuming the most lowfat dairy (mostly skim and reduced fat milk) were 54% less likely to develop high blood pressure over a two-year period than the people with the lowest
intakes.
But what if you are, dare I say it, lactose intolerant?
Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics just announced that lactose intolerance in children should be managed by adjusting dairy food choices and eating patterns, rather than eliminating dairy products. Point well taken!
But just so you all know what might be scaring people with lactose intolerance away from eating or drinking dairy, the symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, flatulence and/or bloating. 'Nuf said there!
So what is a lactose intolerant growing child or adolescent to do? The Dairy Council of California provided suggestions specifically for this group.
* Enjoy swiss or cheddar cheese slices with whole grain crackers
* Combine plain yogurt with a dry soup mix and use as a dip
* Eat a yogurt-bran breakfast
They suggested these foods because aged cheeses such as swiss and cheddar are known to have lower lactose levels and research has shown that yogurts containing live cultures are well tolerated by people with lactose intolerance because the lactose is partially digested by the bacteria before the yogurt is eaten.
Other tips would be to try the 100% lactose-free milks available in most grocery stores and/or the Lactaid Dietary Supplements available in caplets and chewable tablets. They work by naturally breaking down the milk sugar so it won't cause trouble when it's in your intestinal tract.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Food Allergy or Intolerance?, Gas, Bloating Related to Diet
* Calcium & Protein
Depending on the dairy item in question, it can have pretty impressive levels of two nutritional components many of us need more of: calcium and protein.
* Some dairy is fortified with vitamin D
Many different types of milk are fortified with vitamin D and now some yogurt manufacturers are joining in. Vitamin D is an important vitamin and yet many of us just don't seem to get enough in our daily diet.
* Possibly boosts bone density
Getting your calcium from food rather than supplements seems to do your bones good.
* Possibly less likely to develop high blood pressure
Researchers in Spain studied over 5,000 adults between 20 and 90 years of age and found that the people who reported consuming the most lowfat dairy (mostly skim and reduced fat milk) were 54% less likely to develop high blood pressure over a two-year period than the people with the lowest
intakes.
But what if you are, dare I say it, lactose intolerant?
Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics just announced that lactose intolerance in children should be managed by adjusting dairy food choices and eating patterns, rather than eliminating dairy products. Point well taken!
But just so you all know what might be scaring people with lactose intolerance away from eating or drinking dairy, the symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, flatulence and/or bloating. 'Nuf said there!
So what is a lactose intolerant growing child or adolescent to do? The Dairy Council of California provided suggestions specifically for this group.
* Enjoy swiss or cheddar cheese slices with whole grain crackers
* Combine plain yogurt with a dry soup mix and use as a dip
* Eat a yogurt-bran breakfast
They suggested these foods because aged cheeses such as swiss and cheddar are known to have lower lactose levels and research has shown that yogurts containing live cultures are well tolerated by people with lactose intolerance because the lactose is partially digested by the bacteria before the yogurt is eaten.
Other tips would be to try the 100% lactose-free milks available in most grocery stores and/or the Lactaid Dietary Supplements available in caplets and chewable tablets. They work by naturally breaking down the milk sugar so it won't cause trouble when it's in your intestinal tract.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Food Allergy or Intolerance?, Gas, Bloating Related to Diet
39 Comments:
My daughter was diagnosed as being "lactose intolent" a few years ago. I feel you are either born with it or something caused the problem. As it turned out it was caused by a medication that was prescribed for her when she had pnuemonia. She was given Prednisone. It was suggested she take acidophilus when she took any kind of antibiotic. Antibiotics can kill the good flora in a person's intestines that breaks down the lactose enzyme, the acidophilus puts the flora back. Acidophilus aids in maintaining a healthy balance of intestinal flora.
I also took any food away from her that had milk in it. Which meant yogurt that was made with cow's milk (I switched to soy yogurt for awhile). It took me two years to build her system back to where she could have the dairy foods she ate before, again.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. That makes total sense to me--buiding her enzymatic capabilities back. I'm guessing this is more of a possibility with children? Although I'm sure we'll hear more about the power of probiotics and the intestinal flora in the near future.
--Elaine Magee
I discovered I was lactose intolerant 22 years ago just as Tofutti was being marketed. I learned from a doctor that one could desensitize himself to lactose by ensuring that a moderate amount of dairy is consumed each day. I did enloy some relief and regularly tried the yogurt and bran combinations, but I found taking the lactase supplements to work the best. I also take Konsyl every morning and evening and I feel 100% better. For me, the lactase enzyme was key.
I have been lactose intolerant for a few years now but was not born with it. I developed it. I am 47. But I also have IB so there are so many things I cannot eat. I don't take the lactose pills as the older ones didn't even help and the newer ones constipate me. I have a very delicate system. I just don't drink milk and deal with the other things like yogurt or cottage cheese. If I eat them I just make sure I'm going to be at home for a while. Cheese constipates me so if I have had that the day or two before I can have cottage cheese out somewhere and not worry about diarrhea somewhere just the gas. But the next day, watch out! My 15 year old daughter, on the other hand is allergic to milk. If she drinks too much milk develops pneumonia. The year she turned 3 was a nightmare. She developed pneumonia 2 times and bronchitis every other month until we found out what the matter was. She is now just starting to try to drink milk a little every day to get her resistence up but even now when she starts to feel her lungs start to fill up she has to back off of it and wait until she clears up before she starts again. It is horrible. She can't eat very much ice cream either. It will do the same thing. She can eat cheese okay, but milk or ice cream are not good for her and it is not something she is outgrowing. Anyway that is our experiences. Linda
Your article said to give children swiss cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese, but take it from someone who knows, that may not be good either. I cannot eat or drink anything dairy, take calcium pills or supplements or even beef products. When I do, I am in the bathroom for at least 24 hours.
I have been lactose intolerant for my entire life (37 years.). It has been a very difficult, long, and inconvenient battle against dairy products. Recently I have discovered Activia. I tried eating it daily for two weeks (as recommended) and it actually did the trick! After using that method for a couple of months my sister turned me on to Acidophilus caplets. I switched from the yogurt to the tablets (it's cheaper) and everything has stayed great. No more digestive problems! I feel so much better and can eat all kinds of foods without having to stick close to home. I think I am also able to retain more of the vitamins and minerals (nutrition) in my meals and my immune system seems to be working more efficiently with the added nutrients. I could not be happier about this discovery!
Tricia
I'm 37. I was diagnosed with lactose intolerence six years ago after I had several bouts of severe diarrehea. I was never a big dairy fan growing up, although I did love milk. I was able to tolerate dairy until about 10 or so years ago, when the bloating and the cramps began after eating dairy. I don't know whether I was born with it or whether something caused the problem. Nothing definitive comes to mind. I was told to avoid all dairy, but that was too difficult for me to live with. I couldn't imagine never having a glass of cold milk again, although milk gives me the most problems. I usually buy the Lactaid milk. The 70% lactose free one dosen't help much, but the 100% lactose free one helps. It's more expensive than regular milk but I find the pills to be a hassle. I can tolerate many cheeses and yogurt, though.
Try Soy Milk! It has the same nutritional value as milk (sometimes better), and there are a few brands like Silk (http://www.silksoymilk.com) that taste very similar to Dairy Milk.
Try Soy Milk! It has the same nutritional value as milk (sometimes better), and there are a few brands like Silk (http://www.silksoymilk.com) that taste very similar to Dairy Milk.
I have learned to like Silk Enhanced Soy Milk better than milk. It is very creamy and smooth. Love it. Also like it in my coffee. I have been lactose intolerant for about 2 years now, and it was really hard going at first. I still slip up sometimes and really pay the price for it (and so does my poor family). I have to go into hiding.
For many years I had a lot of pain in my knees.Getting out of a car or standing up after sitting was extremely painful.For years I thought I had arthritis.When I switched to soy milk the pain disapeared within one week.If I eat milk products, yogurt for example within a week the pain has returned.
My daughter just turned 3 last week.and within the past 3weeks everytime she drinks milk or ice cream she poops right after. Could she be lactose intolerance??
I am lactose intolerant. My OB-GYN suggests I get 1,000 mg of calcium a day. I take a multi-vitamin with 500 mg and want to add a suppliment with another 500 mg. What type of calcium supplement do you recommend for someone who is lactose intolerant? There are so many different ones on the market. Thanks.
My son has had a sensitive stomach since he started on solid foods and milk. He had diarrhea and a bright red rash on his bottom for 3 months after he went on milk. After seeing a specialist, he went on a probiatic, Culturelle and Butt Paste for 2 weeks to clear it up. He has battled periodic unexplained diarrhea and vomiting ever since. He's now 3 years old and still suffering with no diagnosis. After a resent 3 month bout of different illnesses and a 2nd set of ear tubes, he now takes the Culturelle everyday. The Culturelle has made a huge difference in his life!
Why would I take medical advice to consume dairy from the dairy industry when I am lactose intolerant? What a scam... It is irresponsible to present this as medical advice. Dairy is for the babies of the mammals whose lactations we consume, not us. If we were meant to drink the milk of cows, we'd be calves.
I noticed after I had my 1st child that after I would drink milk I would gag and sometimes vomit, which I don't understand. Before I use to love milk and be able to drink it, I probably still do, but I would't know, because I stay away from it. So I would like to know why this happens? Can I be lactose intolerance? I fear I'm not getting enough calcium. Even though, I try to eat yogurt, ice cream, and cheese daily....I don't. It's not the same like before when I use to be able to eat cereal and drink the milk on a regular. Now I just eat the ceral and pour the milk out. So what else can I do to make sure I get enough calcium daily?
My son is a year old. I am trying to get him off the formula and onto milk, but he gets diarrea when he drinks regular milk. He is taking Simalac Advanced formula and I do not understand why he can not drink whole milk. Can anyone help? Has anyone had this problem? My eamil is nicole43314@hotmail.com
My daughter is almost 2 and when she was born they said she was lactose intolent. She always seems to get a bad rash, like a yeast infection. She has used every kind of butt paste and cream out there and prescription creams. My mother-in-law told me about acidophilos drops and thinks maybe this would help. Does anybody haveany suggestions
Recently I have noticed that after I eat many dairy products I have severe diarrhea, gas, and nausea accompanied by stomach pain. I always thought that if you were lactose intolerant you were since you were born, but it seems to have become more prevalent in recent months. I am also wondering if the effects are immediate, since mine, excluding the gas, seem to have a 2 or 3 hour delay before the onset.
Please get tested for allergy to milk protein.I thought I had lactose intolerance,but it was the milk protein.I am 51 years old,had been healthy until my late thirties.I went to an allergy specialist - milk protein was just one of the problems.I followed the rotation diet for the foods,took 4 allergy injections a day for the enviromental allergies, all for 2 and half years.I have not had any further problems since I was forty.
I am 22 years old and last year I started getting horrible stomach cramps, diahrea and gas whenever I would consume anything dairy. It was awful! About a month ago I started taking acidophilus pills and it has really helped. I still cannot drink milk, eat ice cream, cottage cheese or yogart with out taking many lactaid pills (so I usually avoid it) but I can finally eat cheese again! I had never had these symptoms until last year, when I suffered through a really difficult semester in college where I was under severe stress. Could this be the cause? I can also not eat meat at all. I read somewhere that some people don't have enough acid in their stomachs to process the protein in meat, but could there really be validity in that? It's so frustrating too because my doctor isn't being helpful at all. She keeps saying that I'm lactose intolerant, which is true, but that doensn't explain why I can't eat meat. I'm just so confused!
For these last three weeks I have felt a strong pain in my upper stomach area, now I do not know how acid reflux feels because I do not know that it is that, but people usually suggest that it it, anyhow, based on what I have read, I may be lactose intolerance?? I had never had this pain and it freaked me out. I tried it yesterday and with two zips of milk at 2% fat, WOW! I had that darn pain. I took an extra strenght TUMS and it helped me. I know if I had consumed more milk, I would had need a bottle of TUMS. I will see my doctor in a week, in the mean time I will say good bye to milk and any dairy products.
I vomit immediatly after eating dairy. Ice cream is the hardest for me. (But I don't drink milk.) I tried drinking lactose free milk but I still get sick, I'm going to have to be tested for an allergy. I use to be able to drink the 100% lactose free milk, but not anymore. I've even tried the pills, and nothing seems to help. Lately if I eat dairy I get itchy and get rashes. Can being lactose Intolerant cause you to develop an allergy? Or is this just a coincidence?
I'm lactose intolerant, but I HATE soy milk. It makes me gag. Now I'm using rice milk to eat cereal and bake with. I just can't tke soy and I'm so glad that I found an alternative that I can stand.
I am 43 and about a year ago I started having stomach pains in everything I ate. My stomach would swell up and stay that way for hours. I was diagnosed being Lactose. I now need to figure out what to eat and what not to eat. I know it is dairy but I am not sure what I can eat now. I would like to have some input in breakfast lunch and dinners. I am totally doing away with milk and switching to Lactaid milk. But I read that some breads fruit and vegatables have this as well. Any input would be helpful.
You know what's funny about this article. It only states one positive effect of milk in a Spanish research on high blood pressure. What this article does not shed light on is osteoporosis and dairy. The reason is because milk is the cause of osteoporosis. Look at the chart on this website: http://www.babyreference.com/MilkingYourBones.htm
Read on the website for further information, it has references to back up its claim while this article does not.
I am 58 and was diagnosed with lactose intolerance in my mid thirties after having increasing bouts with diarrhea and gas. I researched lactose intolerance and read that it is more prevalent in people after their twenties, although some are born with it. Many develop it later because as we age, our bodies make less LACTASE, which is the enzyme that helps you digest lactose. Many cannot tolerate lactose at all by the time they are elderly.
I drink Lactaid fat free and it's fine and helps. I plan to resume Acidophilus soon. I also have IBS, so I stay away from fried foods, anything rich, creamy or greasy or with a lot of seeds.
I am still trying to find a decent creamer for my coffee (I drink 1/2 decaf) and can't find anything but powdered creamers. Does anyone have a suggestion on lactose free creamers other than buying a 1/2 gal. of whole milk Lactaid?
Mary
My 14 yr. old son was just diagnosed with IBD (chrones Disease) and Lactose intolerant. He has always consumed dairy on a daily basis. Now that he has to watch his diet for everything, my mother reminded me that as a baby/toddler she gave me goats milk, it doesn't have the sugars that cows milk does and it doesn't have the bad after taste of soy or lactaid milk. I don't know if it will help anyone looking for something different than the expensive milks but it has worked for us.
I use Goats Milk in place of cows milk. I also can't tolerate the taste of soy milk, makes me gag. I am going to try the Activia and see if it helps. I'm always miserable because something I've eaten has caused problems and I'm so tired of it. I have trouble digesting meat, fat and milk, so I dont' eat them.
J
My daughter is four years old and just lately has developed problems with a bloated stomach. I have also noticed a difference in the quality of her stool. She used to produce a good amount of feces and now she just has pebble like feces. I have given her stool softeners, which have and have not worked. I was wondering if this may be a food allergy. Can any other parent/ expert shed some light on this?
Hi, i'm 19 years old and was diagnosed with lactose intolerance when i was either 12 or 13. I don't take any meds for it but i'm able to stand soy milk. I buy Silk brand and that pretty much works for me. As far as any other dairy products go, i can stand a few bites of ice cream with no problem but cheese WON'T stay down. Another thing i was wondering, i'm not able to tolerate beef either... and it's not just me either. My father is also lactose intolerant and beef intolerant. The reason behind is beef intolerance though is because in 2000 he had a gastric bypass done. So what's my story? Any help would be greatly appreciated...
I can drink milk, but if I have more than a glass then I get the gas, same goes for other dairy products. There have been times when the milk didn't digest at all and about 3 days later the milk and anything I had to eat from 3 days back would come up. Don't know what that was about. I developed my intolerance a few years ago. Am 28 now, and I'm still not used to it. I get in the most trouble when I am having a calcium binge, and about 30 mins later I am really paying for it.
I am going to try raw milk...the real component to milk intolerance may be that it is pasturized and controlled by the FDA. I have been curious about this for sometime and was convinced tonight after watching My Life in Food on the Food Network "Milk and Honey." Go Raw, Go Natural, it's the best way!
I found it on arla.com website, and it sounds really good compared to soy milk!!!
http://www.arla.com/products/milk/lactofree-milk-intolerance/lactofree/
Erin
I have been lactose intollerant for about 3 years now. I am 26 years old and when I eat anything dairy I get bloated, gassy, naseous and feel really run down and lethargic. I also get diarehea. I cut out dairy completely and now if I even have the smallest bit I get sick. One thing I learned from my personal experience is that there is a lot of lactose in foods that you wouldnt thing have it. For example many meats (lots of lunchmeat) have milk ingredients so do hotdogs, sausages, some types of bacon etc. Its imporatant to read the labels very carefully. Also if you go out to restaurants some meat is cooked with butter which has made me sick before. I completely cut dairy out of my life and use rice milk and soy products as substitues. My lactose intollerance is severe and is causing me to have anxiety. I dont feel comfortable going away far from home and being in a situation where I cant comfortably and quickly get to a bathroom just in case. Its awful. I also have low Calcium and B12 levels as a result and have to take vitamin supplements.
Any information on Acidophilus milk? I am lactose intolerant and soy milk makes me sick also. The acidophilus is the only one that doesn't bother me. Anyone out there know any side effects? The acidophilus is hard to find. I get it at Kroger grocery store. They don't have it all the time. Any comments?
My mother is lactose intolerant, and shortly after i was born they found out that i was allergic to milk. One day my father spilled some milk on my tummy and i had to be rushed to the emergency room. After that i stayed far away from milk. I was never aloud to drink milk, but i'm not sure when but i started to have some milk with my cereal. Right now i am 19 and i am not able to drink a glass of milk but i can handle some milk in my cereal. I believe that you can limit the amounts of milk you have you can progress to being capable to having more milk in your diet. Thank goodness i can have a small bowl of ice cream.
Thank you so much. I have the symptoms like bloating, gas when I consume milk. At first I didn't know what was causing me this issue until I tried to eat only one kind of food a day to find out the offender food type. I learnt that it was milk. But I also know that I can't give up milk considering how notritious it is. Thanks to this this article the suggestions of what to eat if I have issue with lactose.
My mom is lactose intolerant and said she thought my daughter might be too--lots of gas. Never went to dr about it, just started giving her lactose free milk. Got really bad 2 months ago-severe cramps etc. She can't do that milk anymore either. She doesn't like silk-I love it. My solution to her calcium problem--vitamin and several glasses of CALCIUM RICH ORANGE JUICE-even drinks it at school! Even changed her dressing on salads-some ranch gave her gas. No pizza-very hard on her at parties. Plan to take her to dr after flu season-for now, just avoid dairy-working great for now!
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