Lactose Intolerance Treatment

The human body is like a computer that works on the inputs we provide it with, gets attacked by viruses and does not accept anything that is corrupt. Each person has a different metabolic process and body structure and, therefore, they are allergic to different things they eat. Lactose intolerance is a condition wherein few people get allergic to or find it difficult to digest lactose. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and its related products and is made up of glucose and galactose. Our system produces an enzyme known as ‘lactase’ that is responsible for the absorption of lactose in the body. A person suffers from lactose intolerance when there is reduced or no activity of lactase in the body, which in turn prevents the splitting of lactose. The consequence of the lactose intolerance and its treatment varies from person to person. The treatment depends on how sensitive the concerned person is to foods that contain lactose. Mentioned below are a few recommended treatments for lactose intolerance concentrating generally on remedies through diet control.

Treatment For Lactose Intolerance

• In order to treat lactose intolerance you will have to limit the intake of milk and milk products in your daily diet. Most of us tend to have about 10g of lactose daily in the form of whole, low-fat milk and other products. Try a small amount and wait for any symptoms before you eat or drink more in case of any confusion.
• If at all you can’t do without milk and milk products and consider it to be an important part of your diet, it is advisable for you to consume any milk and milk products along with other food items. Doing so will reduce or eliminate the symptoms of lactose intolerance.
• Spreading or distributing your intake of dairy products throughout the day might also help you by eliminating lactose intolerance symptoms. Many people find it helpful if they eat small amounts of products containing lactose throughout the day instead of consuming large portions at one time.
• There are substitutes available in the market for milk and milk products. For example, you can include soy milk and soy cheese in your diet instead of milk and milk products. Non dairy creams for coffee can also be used to cut down on your consumption of lactose.
• Another way in which you can treat lactose intolerance is by making use of different lactose products. Lactose products are nothing but dietary supplements that help you digest lactose.
• Consuming yogurt with live cultures will also help you eliminate the symptoms of lactose intolerance. However, getting yogurt with live cultures is not easy since it undergoes a process called ‘heat treatment’ that kills the bacteria.
• If a person is suffering from severe symptoms of lactose intolerance, he or she will have to avoid lactose completely. In addition, he or she will also have to avoid chocolates, pancakes, breads and certain baked food items.
• People suffering from lactose intolerance might also require certain supplements since they do not get enough calcium through the food they eat on a daily basis. For such patients who need to avoid dairy products completely, almonds, tuna, broccoli, etc can be good substitutes.
• There are certain medications as well that the doctors recommend for people suffering from lactose intolerance. Lactase enzymes in small quantities are prescribed to people who can tolerate the drug. This supplement comes both in liquid and chewable form and helps in decreasing the amount of lactose by 70 to 90%.