What is lactose intolerance?

What is lactose intolerance?

Lately we hear a lot about these so called intolerances but what is lactose intolerance really and how does it differ from the allergy?

These two words, intolerances and allergies, are often erroneously exchanged.

What is lactose?
Lets start off from understanding what lactose really is.

Lactose belongs to the sugar family, in particular it is a disaccharide, i.e. the product of the union between two simple sugars, galactose and glucose.  As the name implies, lactose is present in milk and all its derivatives, but also many other foods contain it.  The task is to divide lactose into its two simpler compounds is entrusted to an enzyme, the lactase.  When the lactase is not present or is no longer present, an intolerance occurs.

When is it milk allergy and when is it lactose intolerance?
These are two completely different ailments.

Milk allergy is usually developed at a young age, in the early years of the life of the child.  This type of allergy causes the body to produce antibodies against the protein (casein) contained in the milk.  After the first allergic reaction, every time that the allergic subject assumes milk or its derivatives, he/she will be the victim of different allergic reactions more or less serious depending on the subject.

Lactose intolerance, instead, strikes mainly adults and/or elderly people.  This intolerance is caused due to the lack of lactase, the famous enzyme which has the task of separating the sugar present in milk or dairy products favouring its digestion.  The immune system is not involved in this case and therefore the severity of the reaction is due to the amount of lactose ingested.

The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance
The symptoms are different and not always linked to each other:

• Stomach swelling
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Sinusitis
• Asthma
• Tiredness
• Rhinitis
• Headache
• Gastritis
• Water retention
• Dermatitis

Which foods must we avoid

If you suffer from intolerances, ingesting the substance that the body rejects can cause serious disturbances.  A persons intolerant to lactose, must pay particular attention to what they eat and preserve their health by identifying some foods that must be avoided as much as possible:

– Milk and its derivatives

– White Bread

– Cold cuts

– Frozen foods

– Canned fruit and vegetables

– Cereals

– Broth cubes

– Pre-cooked/prepared meals

– Sweets, ice cream

– Supplements

– Certain drugs/medicines

What about certain cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano?
If the cheeses are fresh than they must be avoided by people who are intolerant to lactose, however in the case of  the famous Parmigiano Reggiano this can be freely consumed if aged 36 months or more.

How is lactose intolerance diagnosed?
There are several tests to identify lactose intolerance one of which is the Breath Test.
This diagnostic test consists of blowing several times into a small container at an interval of half an hour between each blow and after assuming 50 g of lactose.  It is a rather simple and non invasive method to diagnose lactose intolerance.  To ensure a quite plausible result it is important to follow some indications:

• Suspend all therapies based on antibiotics in the days prior to the conduction of the test
• The evening before have dinner with boiled rice, meat or fish of your choice grilled and only with little seasoning
• Do not smoke
• Do not undergo great efforts that can weaken your body
• Do not eat anything for at least 8 hours before the test

In any case you can do very well without milk since nowadays in trade we can find many alternatives and substitues such as almond milk, rice milk, kamut milk, soymilk and so on.

Discover the recipe of the milk free apple cake.

Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet