Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance is the metabolic ineptitude to digest lactose, a primary dairy component. A predominant cause is the gradual waning away of the activity of lactose enzyme as one outgrows his infantile age. Pastoral cultures through the times have adapted to consumption of milk products. However, some societies never grew to be primarily based on animal husbandry. This population’s pliancy towards lactose gradually subdues, in some microcosms the enzyme count drops to 10%. Milk consumption by the afflicted may lead to flatulence, nausea and cramps.

The metabolic disorder isn’t a cause of concern for the societies that are milk parched. The general prognosis would include avoiding dairy products. However, an Indian society is milk sodden. Families stuff toddlers with dairy liquids until the infantile corpulence is to their liking. The bovine novelty is a part of the Indian gastronomic culture.

A multi-center study was carried out in India to determine the incidence of lactose intolerance in healthy volunteers from different parts of the country. The incidence was found to be 66.6% in the subjects from two South Indian centers at Trivandrum and Pondicherry. In contrast, the incidence in the subjects from a North Indian center in New Delhi was much lower, i.e., 27.4% (less than 0.001).

The lower incidence in the North Indian subjects may perhaps be because they are descendants of the Aryans who have been dairying for long and are known to be lactose tolerant.  Obliterating dairy-based products from the diet isn’t advisable as it would lead to a lack of essential nutrition and bleak health propositions.

Modern dairy products like ‘low fat’ and ‘fat free’ milk provide some relief. Apart from the genuine ignorance of the disorder, more hampering are the bleary myths associated with it. Lactose intolerant adults many a times, completely distant themselves from the dairy-based products, this can not only cause a severe lack of essential vitamins and calcium, but also cause incorrigible health consequences including weak bones.

The dietary misconception is a cause of concern as many individuals incorrectly render themselves as lactose intolerant. A recent study carried on suspected 353 intolerant individuals found that 189 turned out to absorb the sugar variant without any stiff symptomatic onset. Also, many seem to confuse Lactose Intolerance with milk allergy.

The National Dairy Council of the United States makes this contrast limpid clear. According to the council “Cow’s milk allergy is an immunologically mediated response to one or more of cow’s milk proteins. Lactose intolerance, a non-immunological reaction, is the occurrence of symptoms after persons with low levels of the enzyme lactase (lactose maldigesters) consume lactose (milk sugar) in amounts exceeding lactase’s ability to digest it.”

There are standardized examinations as well (like hydrogen breath test), that doctors advice to corroborate their suspicion. A subsistent management of the disorder would be to inoculate your diet with rather safe dairy quantities after consulting dietitians or ‘trial and error’. Even severely affected individual can absorb as much as 12 grams of lactose. Yoghurt or hard cheeses like mozzarella are an option as well.

Ankit Maheshwari

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