According to statistical studies, lactose intolerance is a very common phenomenon. Its symptoms include digestive problems, frequent dizziness, nausea, skin rashes, and unexplained feelings of anxiety. Although the disease is easy enough to diagnose, most people prefer to write off such signs as a general malaise. Naturally, all these manifestations are associated with the consumption of dairy products. In addition, lactose is present in a huge number of foods included in the daily diet. Bread, sausage, sauces, convenience foods all contain milk sugar.
Lactose in the food industry
Lactose intolerance is such a common diagnosis because the substance is widely used in manufacturing. Compared to regular sucrose and glucose, it is less sweet, so it is added to foods in large quantities. Its presence in bakery products is explained by the fact that lactose is not fermented by yeast and stabilizes the egg white. Almost all flavors, sweeteners and flavor enhancers are based on milk sugar. Lactose occurs naturally in the milk of mammals.
Diagnosis
Lactose intolerance, as the name implies, is the inability of the human body to carry out the process of breaking it down. The main symptom is indigestion.
Possible causes
According to doctors, in most cases, lactose intolerance is due to an enzyme deficiency. In the patient's body, for one reason or another, too little lactase is produced - an enzyme necessary for milk sugar to be completely digested in the intestines. The disease should not be confused with allergies: the fundamental difference is that an abnormal immune response does not occur. Diagnosis of intolerance is complicated by the fact that its signs are characteristic of almost any gastric disease. By the way, women have more severe symptoms than men.
Diagnosis
In order to make a diagnosis, the doctor can use two methods: ask the patient to completely eliminate lactose-containing foods from his diet for a while, or, conversely, ask the person to drink, for example, some milk and watch him reaction.
Treatment
If the diagnosis is confirmed, your further actions will depend on the severity of the disease. In extreme forms of intolerance, you will have to completely abandon products containing lactose. However, most patients are able to absorb 8 to 10 grams of milk sugar per day. Accordingly, a daily diet is planned. In addition, lactose-negative enterobacteria help smooth the situation. Treatment in this case consists in the regular intake of these drugs before each meal. It should be emphasized that only a doctor can prescribe such drugs, he also determines the individual dose.
Products
Where is lactose found? The list of products can be huge, but the largest amount of milk sugar is present in all dairy products, bread, pastries, sausages and cheeses, ice cream, fast food, condensed milk, chocolate (and in general in all sweets), as well as in almost any seasoning - ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard. But you can absolutely safely eat fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts, rice and vermicelli.