Food intolerance – Even to Dairy Lactose Intolerance

These days it seems food intolerance are all the rage with many of us claiming to have trouble problems triggered by certain foods.

Dairy Lactose Intolerance

Recent studies show that regardless we have a proper diagnosis or not

• 1 in 10 of us now avoid the gluten food in wheat, rye and barley.

• A whooping 1 in 6 Shuns lactose found in some Milk products.

The study has revealed more people are giving up dairy products than may need to buy self-diagnosis without any proper medical opinion.
Other factors like social media, family and friends also affect their decision.

Hence, it’s of utmost importance to know actually what the problem is and to get it diagnosed by a professional.

Let’s just dive a little more into the topic, So, what is Lactose intolerance?

Definition:
The inability to fully digest sugar (lactose) in dairy products and hence causing symptoms, particularly after intake of such products.

Types:

1. Congenital or primary:
   Due to mutation of lactose gene in the chromosome number 2, very rare type.
2. Acquired or secondary:
   -More common type and causes include Autoimmune, Gastroenteritis, Post infectious following diarrhoea, due to infection, adverse effects of drug, radiation.

Signs and symptoms:
-Diarrhoea
-Abdominal pain and
-vomiting,
Especially on intake of Milk products.
-Flatulence
-Distended Abdomen

-Perianal excoriation due to acidic stool
Which is treated by:
*Analgesia regimen for pain associated with perianal excoriation:

1. Local Analgesics:
   Xylocaine gel 2% may be applied to the external anal area prior to toileting for patients who have an anal tear.

2. Systemic analgesics:
paracetamol, codeine or morphine
maybe required, and should be administered according to the degree of pain.

Diagnosis:

1. Reducing substances positive in stool.
2. Confirmed by improvement of symptoms an exclusion of milk
3. Decrease lactase activity in small intestine biopsy.
4. Breath test:
   -Gas used is Hydrogen(H2)
   -8hr Fasting prior to this test.

Lactose is absorbed in the small intestine,
However, for people with lactose intolerance, it passes straight into the colon and is fermented by the gut bacteria which produces hydrogen which gets expelled out of the body via different routes.
The patient is asked to breathe in a piece of equipment and the baseline hydrogen level is recorded.
Then a Solution of Glass with the same amount of lactose as 0.5 litres of milk is given to the patient.
The patient has to wait for 2 hours.
The patient again reason that equipment,
Levels of hydrogen are recorded.

Result:
Positive:
If hydrogen level goes 20 points above the baseline.

Treatment:

1. Avoid milk, skimmed milk and Milk products like ice cream,
   Include small servings of dairy products in your regular meals
2. Curd yoghurt and cheese can be given.
3. Lactase pills to treat flatulence.
4. To include calcium in the diet from other sources like cheddar cheese, feta cheese, Fish with bones, Nuts, Figs, Calcium fortified Tofu, Papaya and oranges.
5. Greene veggies like Kale, Bok choy, Broccoli, Chinese cabbage, Edamame and acorn squash.

These patients must maintain
their daily calcium requirement since
Calcium builds our bone density and it is Reserved in our body since after the mid-’20s the density starts decreasing.
Hence it is important to build the highest bone density, by having an adequate supply of calcium in our diet.
Calcium is used to clot blood, is helpful in skin Nails and hair growth, and aids in muscle contraction.