When people think about lactose intolerance, they might imagine a poor soul who eats their cereal dry or someone who can only look at a bowl of macaroni and cheese but not taste the deliciousness.
According to scientists, there is a good chance that you may be lactose intolerant to some degree.
The National Institutes of Health estimate that about 65% of humans have difficulty digesting dairy products, meaning you could be lactose intolerant without even knowing it.
This could mean a lot of things. At a basic level, lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy products.
When you are a child, your body overproduces an enzyme called lactase, which is responsible for breaking down lactose.
It’s normal to produce less lactase after childhood, but some people have fewer enzymes than others. For these people, consuming too much lactose can lead to gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
However, the definition of “too much lactose” can vary from person to person and perhaps that is why you don’t know if you are lactose intolerant or not.
See: 3 surprising things that happen when you stop drinking milk
How do I know if I am lactose intolerant?
People who are extremely sensitive to lactose may not be able to digest even a few sips of milk. So, if you are severely lactose intolerant, you have probably already noticed this.
For most people, it takes 12 grams of lactose for symptoms to begin appearing. After eating this amount, you will start to feel the buzz within 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Certain foods like hard cheeses and yogurt are lower in lactose, so a slice of cheese pizza may not bother you. If you eat three or four, that’s another story.
Symptoms of intolerance can be especially severe if you eat dairy products without any other type of food to balance it out.
See: Lactose intolerance: myths and truths
If you are from a part of the world where, historically, few dairy products have been consumed by the population, you are more likely to be lactose intolerant. People from African, Asian and Latin American countries present more cases of intolerance.
There is an imported medicine (actually a supplement), Lactaid, that can help you if you are lactose intolerant. All you need to do is take a pill before eating any food that contains lactose.
Lactaid contains lactase, so you can easily digest all the food within the next 30 to 40 minutes.
Seek more information from your doctor.
