Post by blackcrowheart on Jan 29, 2006 19:27:16 GMT -5
Learn to live with lactose intolerance By Courtney Taylor Gannett News
Service
www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20030806/lifestyle/5664.html
On these steaming hot summer days, nothing cools us off and calms us
down like a big bowl of luscious, smooth ice cream or a frosty or a
thick milk shake. That is, unless you or your child happens to be one of
the millions of Americans who is lactose intolerant. ''Lactose
intolerance is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is
what we use to break down milk sugar which is also referred to as
lactose,'' says Laura Rodgers, pediatric dietitian at the University
Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.
''While I don't have any statistics about how many children are
diagnosed, I can tell you that it is estimated that 30 million to 50
million Americans are lactose intolerant. And it is real prevalent in a
lot of ethnic groups such as African Americans, American Indians,
Asians, Hispanics and Jewish people,'' Rodgers says.
Indeed, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, certain ethnic and racial populations are more
widely affected than others. As many as 75 percent of all black
Americans and American Indians and 90 percent of Asian Americans are
lactose intolerant. The condition is least common among persons of
northern European descent.
Common symptoms include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea,
which begin about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods
containing lactose. The severity of symptoms varies depending on the
amount of lactose each individual can tolerate.
Even though lactose intolerance is widespread, it need not pose a
serious threat to good health. People who have trouble digesting lactose
can learn which dairy products and other foods they can eat without
discomfort and which ones they should avoid.
If summer without Chunky Monkey or Dove Bars is unbearable, you might be
able to indulge simply by adding digestive supplements such as Lactaid
or Dairy Ease to your diet. However, if you don't take enough tablets or
if the enzyme doesn't reach your intestine at the same time as the
lactose, you still will experience some discomfort.
Service
www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20030806/lifestyle/5664.html
On these steaming hot summer days, nothing cools us off and calms us
down like a big bowl of luscious, smooth ice cream or a frosty or a
thick milk shake. That is, unless you or your child happens to be one of
the millions of Americans who is lactose intolerant. ''Lactose
intolerance is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is
what we use to break down milk sugar which is also referred to as
lactose,'' says Laura Rodgers, pediatric dietitian at the University
Medical Center in Jackson, Miss.
''While I don't have any statistics about how many children are
diagnosed, I can tell you that it is estimated that 30 million to 50
million Americans are lactose intolerant. And it is real prevalent in a
lot of ethnic groups such as African Americans, American Indians,
Asians, Hispanics and Jewish people,'' Rodgers says.
Indeed, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, certain ethnic and racial populations are more
widely affected than others. As many as 75 percent of all black
Americans and American Indians and 90 percent of Asian Americans are
lactose intolerant. The condition is least common among persons of
northern European descent.
Common symptoms include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea,
which begin about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods
containing lactose. The severity of symptoms varies depending on the
amount of lactose each individual can tolerate.
Even though lactose intolerance is widespread, it need not pose a
serious threat to good health. People who have trouble digesting lactose
can learn which dairy products and other foods they can eat without
discomfort and which ones they should avoid.
If summer without Chunky Monkey or Dove Bars is unbearable, you might be
able to indulge simply by adding digestive supplements such as Lactaid
or Dairy Ease to your diet. However, if you don't take enough tablets or
if the enzyme doesn't reach your intestine at the same time as the
lactose, you still will experience some discomfort.