Lactose intolerance refers to symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, bloating, gas, and nausea when eating foods containing lactose. Lactose is a type of sugar in milk and is also found in dairy products such as cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. People with insufficient lactase activity in the small intestine mucosa are prone to lactose intolerance. This is because lactose that has not been broken down by lactase in the small intestine attracts moisture and is fermented by intestinal bacteria in the large intestine, producing gas.
Lactose intolerance is often acquired. One cause is that the production of lactase enzyme decreases with age. Genetic characteristics are also involved. It is known that in Asians, lactase production in the body usually decreases after the age of 6. In addition, if the small intestine mucosa is damaged due to infection or inflammation, lactose degrading enzyme may be removed, causing temporary lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance can usually be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. If symptoms occur only when eating lactose-containing foods and the symptoms disappear when the lactose-containing foods are not consumed, it is diagnosed as lactose intolerance. If symptoms are vague, diagnosis is made through testing. This is a method of having a patient consume a certain amount of lactose and then measuring the amount of hydrogen gas produced when lactose is fermented in the intestines and exhaled. This is to distinguish it from diseases that cause simple diarrhea, such as ▲acute enteritis and ▲irritable bowel syndrome.
There is no specific treatment for lactose intolerance. If you do not eat milk or dairy products, the symptoms disappear. However, just giving up milk is not the answer. According to medical experts, if you consume about two glasses of milk in small portions every day, even if you are lactose intolerant, symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea are likely to be alleviated. This is because if you continuously consume lactose, the intestinal bacteria that affect the fermentation of lactose can adapt to it.
If this method does not work for you, there is also a method of breaking down the lactose by adding lactase enzyme to the milk and refrigerating it for about 12 hours. If you choose not to drink milk, it is best to eat plenty of foods high in calcium, such as anchovies, tofu, and broccoli to prevent calcium and vitamin D deficiency.
