In the News - October 2008
Coping with lactose intolerance includes reading ingredients
TEXARKANA, Ark. - That funny feeling after eating ice cream or drinking milk
could be lactose intolerance, but it’ll take a doctor to say for sure, says
Carla Haley, Miller County extension agent for the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases, 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, which means a
person is missing a key enzyme that breaks down lactose, the natural sugar found
in milk and other dairy products.
"However, if you have food intolerances, often you can eat small amounts of
the offending foods without having symptoms," Haley said.
Fortunately, lactose intolerance is not serious.
"You should feel better soon if you eat less food with lactose or if you use
products that help you digest lactose," she said.
The enzyme lactase breaks down milk sugar into two simpler forms of sugar,
which are then absorbed into the bloodstream.
When there is not enough lactase to digest the lactose in the foods a person
eats or drinks, the person may have gas, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and
diarrhea. These symptoms usually occur within 30 minutes to two hours after
eating food containing lactose.
The easiest route to a trouble-free meal is cutting the amount of dairy, or
eliminating foods that contain lactose, which can show up in surprising places
such as lunch meats, baking mixes, snacks and frozen dinners. Lactose is found
in milk and all foods made with milk, like ice cream, sherbet, cream, butter,
some cheeses, cottage cheese and yogurt.
Even though "lactose-free" or "lactose-reduced" milk and other products are
widely available in grocery stores, there is no federal definition for these
terms. Manufacturers must provide on their food labels information that is
truthful and not misleading, but a lactose-reduced product may still contain
lactose that could cause symptoms. Lactose-free or lactose-reduced products do
not protect a person who is allergic to dairy products from experiencing an
allergic reaction. People with milk allergies are allergic to the milk protein,
which remains when the lactose is removed.
"We all know that milk and dairy products are great sources of calcium and
that calcium is important for good health, so what do you do if you cannot eat
or drink these foods?" Haley said. "Other foods with calcium include canned
salmon with bones (the bones contain the calcium), sardines, collard greens,
turnip greens, broccoli and tofu."
For more nutrition information, contact your county extension office, or
visit
www.uaex.edu.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
October 3, 2008
Edited by Elizabeth Hill
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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