Lactose intolerance is the inability of the body to digest the sugar in milk called lactose. The small intestine normally produces an enzyme called lactase which the body then uses to break lactose down, in those individuals that are lactose intolerant this enzyme is either not present in sufficient quantities or is not present at all.

Many people confuse lactose intolerance with milk allergies, when in fact they are two different conditions. A true milk allergy is an immune response to milk, while a lactose intolerance means that an individual cannot digest milk properly.

It is estimated that between 30 - 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, with the condition being far more prevalent in African Americans, American Indians, and Asian Americans than in European Americans.

Symptoms of a lactose intolerance include bloating, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain shortly after consuming milk. These symptoms can range from fairly mild to quite severe depending on the person, and the type and amount of dairy product they consumed.
There are tests to diagnose lactose intolerance, but often an individual is simply instructed to eliminate dairy from their diet to see if this makes the problem go away, if it does then the patient simply learns to avoid the offending substances.

If there are more severe symptoms or an individual is especially sensitive, there are three tests that can be done, the hydrogen breath, lactose tolerance, and stool acidity tests. The hydrogen breath test measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath, a gas that undigested lactose secretes. The lactose tolerance test measures blood glucose levels after consuming large amounts of lactose, to see how well your body digests lactose. The stool acidity test is used for very young children, and it measures the amount of acidity in their stools since undigested lactose can result in high levels of lactic acid and other fatty acids.

Lactose intolerance is controlled through diet, by avoiding most dairy products.  Each person’s tolerance is different, so while some may need to avoid all dairy, others may find that they are able to eat hard cheeses or ice cream.  There are products on the market that contain the enzyme lactase, and may help some individuals, there are also some dairy products that are lactose free allowing the lactose intolerant individual to still enjoy milk.

Lactose intolerance has no cure, and requires a lifetime dietary change, but when properly managed with a good calcium supplement there will be no long term side affects to this very uncomfortable problem.