FitSugar

Milk Does a Body Good???

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:30:00 PST

Do you often get a bellyache when you eat or drink foods containing milk? I'm sorry to say, but you may be lactose intolerant.

Lactose is the milk sugar in dairy products. Lactase is the enzyme in your body that breaks down the lactose.

Some people's bodies just don't produce enough of the enzyme to digest the amount of lactose they eat. So when they eat it, they can feel uncomfortable, gassy, bloated or get severe cramps, pains, or diarrhea.

If you think this info might apply to you, there's a simple breath test you can take at your doctor's office. Basically they give you a lactose-loaded beverage and then they monitor the amount of hydrogen in your breath. Don't bother getting the test if you already know how milk affects you.

What's the cure? Sorry folks - there is none. You can either avoid foods containing milk or take Lactaid pills. You can by them over-the counter and they contain the lactase enzyme. Just take a pill with your first bite of dairy-filled food - and you're good to go.

Fit's Tips: Costco sells Lactaid Fast Act Caplets, so if you use them everyday, you might as well buy them in bulk. (90 for $15.29)

Tips For the Lactose Intolerant

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:27:31 PDT

How can a hot slice of ooey-gooey cheese pizza taste so good but make you feel so bad? If you're lactose intolerant, even one bite could have you racing to the bathroom. Here are some tips to help you deal with your dairy-filled world.

If your body can't tolerate any dairy products whatsoever, keep Lactaid pills with you at all times. Lactose intolerance is caused by a lactase deficiency, the enzyme needed to break down the lactose (milk sugar) in your food. If the lactose doesn't get broken down, it causes major bloating, gas, or diarrhea. Just pop a pill with your first bite of food containing dairy, and you're all set. If one pill doesn't offer the magic, take another.
A package of 60 Lactaid brand caplets costs around $15, so if you're going through three or more pills a day, this can be a big expense. Buy them in bulk and save some dough - Kirkland brand costs $16.50 for 180.
If you're not into popping Lactaid pills, avoiding dairy is your best bet, which means being a keen label reader. Look for words such as milk, milk powder, butter, buttermilk, cream, cheese, whey, curds, or milk solids. Hidden lactose can be found in baked goods, dressings, chips, instant soups, candies, pancake mixes, margarine, and even certain medications. If you think a food might have dairy in it, but you're not sure, don't take the chance.

Keep reading for more lactose intolerance tips.

Milk May Not Do Your Body Good

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:30:14 PDT

Many of you have tried a dairy-free diet either for ethical reasons or because it upsets your stomach. Although the message from the dairy industry is that milk does a body good, 60 percent of adults can't digest dairy. It's not that they're allergic, meaning their immune system is affected; it's that their stomachs can't digest the lactose, the sugar found in milk. The enzyme lactase is needed to break it down, and for most of us, that enzyme stops being produced when we're between 2 and 5 years old. Without the enzyme to break down the lactose, the undigested milk sugars end up in our colons and ferment, causing cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

If you have no trouble digesting milk products, you're actually in the minority. That's why scientists don't like the term lactose intolerance, because it gives the impression that it's a disease. Lactose tolerance is actually a genetic mutation. It may have to do with the fact that thousands of years ago, depending on where people lived, milk was a source of food, calcium, and vitamin D. So people kept drinking cow's milk even after they stopped nursing (breast milk also contains lactose), and their bodies continued to produce the lactase enzyme to break it down. That's why there's a connection between your nationality and your sensitivity to milk. Those of European, Irish, Dutch, and Scandinavian decent are usually more tolerant of milk, while Native Americans, Asians, and those of African and Caribbean decent are more sensitive.

Tell me, where do you stand when it comes to sensitivity to milk?