This is a disorder that occurs since childhood and affects a large part of the population, however it can also appear in adulthood, as a result of surgeries in which portions of the intestine are removed or after infections that affect the functioning of cells intestinal.
It is a pathology that seems to affect more people each year but that can sometimes be overestimated due to the effect of diets without milk or without gluten. This situation can cause maladaptive nutritional habits that can lead to completely eliminating dairy products from the diet and cause a calcium deficit. Indeed, a lactose intolerance does not mean to stop consuming milk or dairy products if certain advice is well respected.
People with lactose intolerance have non-specific digestive symptoms. Lactose intolerance, which occurs after the consumption of dairy products, can cause symptoms that are not specific to this disease and that can also appear, for example, during colitis or during irritable bowel syndrome. This can lead to abdominal pain, aerocolia, episodes of diarrhea or constipation sometimes accompanied by vomiting.
There are other symptoms such as:
Fatigue and weight loss episodes can appear if the way of consuming dairy foods is not changed. Headaches, joint pain and muscle aches may also appear.
There is no treatment for the causes of lactose intolerance. The most important thing is to avoid milk, its derivatives and other products that contain lactose, that is, to adapt to a diet low in lactose. If lactose intolerance arises from a bowel disease, such as celiac disease (gluten intolerance) or Crohn's disease, it is important to treat them. In the case of celiac disease, it is enough to reduce the consumption of gluten. In this way, symptoms improve and those affected can return to drinking milk and dairy products.
An adult person consumes an average of 20 to 30 grams of lactose per day, mainly in milk and its derivatives. A lactose-free diet involves eliminating whole milk, condensed milk, buttermilk, powdered milk, and cream entirely from your meal plan. It also applies to dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and foods with milk such as chocolate, ice cream, flan and dishes containing cream.
