DELICARDO-SPOT



Lactose intolerance

Lactose is a natural sugar that is found in milk and is also known as milk sugar. Those suffering from lactose intolerance are unable or only partly able to digest lactose, meaning they are incapable of breaking down the milk sugar. The reason for this is a lack of an enzyme called lactase that is needed for the breaking down of lactose into glucose and galactose in the small intestine. Only through this process can lactose be absorbed through the small intestine’s mucous membrane. In case of a total lack of lactase or of there being only very small amounts, undigested milk sugar finds its way into the large intestine. This can lead to gastrointestinal problems which can be avoided by adhering to a diet that contains either very little lactose or none at all.

Prevalence:

According to the final panel statement of the NIH Consensus Development Conference on lactose intolerance, the prevalence of lactose intolerance is difficult to gauge as studies have varying definitions of what constitutes lactose intolerance.[1]

One recent article published in the journal of Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics states that "up to 70% of the world population has lactase nonpersistence," a decrease in lactase activity, "but not all are intolerant to lactose as many nutritional and genetic factors influence tolerance". Thus, ethnic origin has close ties to the frequency of lactose intolerance. According to the article, in adults, "white north Europeans, North Americans and Australasians have the lowest rates ranging from 5% in a British population to 17% in Finland and northern France. In South America, Africa and Asia, over 50% of the population has lactase nonpersistence and in some Asian countries this rate is almost 100%." [2]

A high prevalence of lactose intolerance for people suffering from celiac disease has been highlighted in several studies.[3]

Symptoms:

It has been reported, that the first known description of lactose intolerance was by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates around 400 years BC. The clinical symptoms however, have become recognized only in the last 50 years.[4] The symptoms include:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Abdominal swelling (bloated stomach)
  • Flatulence
  • Diarrhoea

Diet:

Symptoms can be controlled by reducing the amount of lactose in the diet. Lactose is found in the milk from animals including cows, goats, sheep and humans. Adults with lactose intolerance can often have a small amount of milk without reacting. Although cheese and yoghurt contain animal milk, people with lactose intolerance often find that they can eat them without any symptoms. Cheese contains much less lactose than milk, especially mature cheese, whereas yoghurt contains a similar amount of lactose to milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt may be responsible for the relative ease of its digestion.

You can find information on diagnosis of food allergies and intolerances here.

Not to be confused with milk allergy.

DELICARDO Foodcards:

We highly recommend the use of DELICARDO Foodcards for lactose intolerance sufferers. When eating dishes prepared by someone else it is important that allergies and intolerances are clearly communicated to the cook and/or service personnel.

Ms Elmers from Wangen reports: “I have been trying to cope with lactose intolerance for four years and it hasn’t always been easy. Meeting friends in a restaurant for a nice meal became a torturous experience for me. I felt I ruined the atmosphere and ended all conversations with my attempts to order a dish that would not give me an allergic reaction. I had a lot of explaining to do to make waiters and kitchen staff understand my condition. There are so many things one has to take care of. I often asked myself why there wasn’t such a thing as a restaurant card or some sort of dietary passport for allergy sufferers that would help in those situations. Now I have my DELICARDO Foodcard – it’s the perfect little helper and my friends don’t roll their eyes at me anymore!”

Helpful links and resources:

NHS UK
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/lactose-intolerance/Pages/Introduction.aspx

The Food Standards Agency
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthissues/foodintolerance/foodintolerancetypes/lactoseintol/

Food Intolerance Network
http://www.food-intolerance-network.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=38

The Better Health Channel
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Lactose_intolerance

U.S. National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lactoseintolerance.html

Foodreactions.org
http://www.foodreactions.org/intolerance/lactose/

 

 

 

[1] Final Panel Statement NIH Consensus Development Conference: Lactose Intolerance and Health; February 22–24, 2010; Bethesda, Maryland http://consensus.nih.gov/2010/lactosestatement.htm#q1
[2] LOMER, M. C. E., PARKES, G. C. and SANDERSON, J. D. (2008), Review article: lactose intolerance in clinical practice – myths and realities. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 27: 93–103. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03557.
[3] Ojetti V et al. A: High Prevalence of Celiac Disease in Patients with Lactose Intolerance. Digestion 2005;71:106-110 (DOI: 10.1159/000084526)
[4]  LOMER, M. C. E., PARKES, G. C. and SANDERSON, J. D. (2008), Review article: lactose intolerance in clinical practice – myths and realities. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 27: 93–103. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03557.