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Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest foods with lactose in them. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and foods made with milk. After eating foods with lactose in them, you may feel sick to your stomach. You may also have

Your doctor may do a blood, breath or stool test to find out if your problems are due to lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance is not serious. Eating less food with lactose, or using pills or drops to help you digest lactose usually helps. You may need to take a calcium supplement if you don't get enough of it from your diet, since milk and foods made with milk are the most common source of calcium for most people.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Lactose Intolerance on Wikipedia

'''Lactose intolerance''' is the condition (found in the majority of humans) in which lactase, an enzyme needed for proper metabolization of lactose (a constituent of milk and other dairy products), is not produced in adulthood. With lactose intolerance, the result of consuming lactose or a lactose-containing food is excess gas production and often diarrhea. In western cultures milk products are nearly ubiquitous and are contained in at least a small amount in almost all recipes, restaurant dishes, and processed food. People with lactose intolerance need to be very careful reading food ingredient labels if they wish to avoid consuming lactose.

Biology

The normal mammalian condition is for the young to lose the ability to effectively digest milk sugar (lactose) at the end of the weaning period (a species-specific length of time usually equal to roughly 3% of lifespan). It has been established that certain human populations have undergone a mutation on chromosome 2 which results in a bypass of the normal shutdown in lactase production, allowing members of these groups to continue consumption of fresh milk and fresh milk products throughout their lives. There is some debate on exactly where and when the mutation(s) occurred, some arguing for separate mutation events in Sweden and the Arabian Peninsula near 4000 BC which converged as they spread, while others argue for a single event in the Middle East at about 4500 BC which radiated from there. Whatever the precise origin in time and place, most modern western Eurasians and people of western Eurasian ancestry show the effects of this mutation (that is, they are able to safely consume milk products all their lives) while most modern eastern Eurasians, sub-saharan Africans and native peoples of the Americas and Pacific Islands do not (they are "lactose intolerant" as adults) [http://us.cambridge.org/Books/kiple/lactose.htm].

Etiology

Without lactase, the lactose ...   [ Read More ]


External Resources

Delicious Choices - Dairy free cheescakes for all occasions for vegans, lactose intolerant people, and cheesecake lovers. Ships in USA.

So Nice - Creator of soy milk that is high in isoflavones and soy protein. An alternative for individuals that are lactose intolerance or have dairy allergies.

Steve Carper's Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse - Includes basics for beginners, a guide to dairy and nondairy products, a milk-free bookstore, answers to questions, online resources, and research summaries.

No Milk Page - Annotated links to sites for people wishing to avoid dairy products for health or other reasons. Examples are lactose maldigestion, milk allergy, milk protein intolerance, casein intolerance, and the vegan diet.

Lactose Intolerance - Discussion and management of Lactose Intolerance.

Kirsten's Lactose Intolerance Website - Information about the condition and its prevalence, advice and resources for living lactose-free, discussion forum, and other resources for the lactose-intolerant.

Lactose.co.uk - About symptoms, causes, milk alternatives, dairy-free recipes, and other related topics, including Irritable Bowels Syndrome. Promotes several books on lactose intolerance and milk allergy.

Lactose Intolerance - Information page from the U.S. NIH National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Lactose Intolerance - Management of lactose intolerance, including food alternatives like yogurt and chocolate milk.

Questionnaire on Lactose Intolerance - Research questionnaire investigating the eating habits, difficulties, symptoms and diet of lactose-intolerant people ages 18 and over. Available in several languages. Also general information and internet links on the condition.



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