(Don’t drink milk) guys, be healthy: Is it time we all quit lactose to feel good?

In the last few years, a lactose-free diet has become as popular as a vegetarian diet. And when the author of the text enters a cafe near his workplace and asks, “What’s your milk alternative?” When he hears the question, he is convinced of it himself. Times like this make you think you’re the only one in town who doesn’t believe in lactose allergy. After all, what kind of intolerance can people talk about when they ate dry Rollton or chocolate butter in childhood, washing everything down with a glass of warm milk?

However, more and more people are allergic to lactose. For example, one of my friends lived with the diagnosis of “chronic gastritis” for several years, until he passed tests for the sake of attention and found out that he had actually been milk intolerant all this time. Overall, 65% of the population has a reduced ability to digest lactose. And the most interesting thing is that intolerance, according to doctors, occurs in full adulthood, when the body stops producing the enzyme necessary for the digestion of dairy products.

We decided to find out if the term “lactose intolerance” really exists in medicine, or if the consumption of lactose-free dairy products and plant-based milk drinks has become another trend in recent years.

What is lactose intolerance?

First, let’s define what lactose is. Quite simply, it is a carbohydrate found in dairy products. By the way, lactose is also called milk sugar because it consists of glucose and galactose, which in combination with each other creates an addictive sweet taste to the body.

A similar enzyme called lactase is responsible for breaking down lactose in the human body. However, for various reasons, it may not occur in sufficient quantities or may not occur at all. In this case, a condition called lactose intolerance occurs.

Is a lactose-free diet human nature or a new trend?

Guzalia Shakurova, pediatrician and preventive physician, nutritionist, nutritionist, Solgar specialist.

Initially, the human genotype was based on a decrease in lactase (an enzyme that breaks down lactose) activity soon after completion of the lactation period. There is even a historical hypothesis of the formation of such stability. According to him, about 10 thousand years ago, a gene mutation emerged and affected the human population. And since normally every human being’s need for lactose disappears after they stop breastfeeding, it just so happened that lactose tolerance became a mutation.

How do you diagnose lactose intolerance?

Major symptoms include:

– stomach ache;

– bloating;

– diarrhea;

– rashes on the skin;

– weakness.

In the last few years, IgG tests for food intolerance have come into vogue. Their cost starts from 10 thousand rubles, there are a lot of offers, but in reality they have no scientific justification and only check the solvency of the customer. According to the result of the analysis, the patient will be banned from the foods he has eaten recently. IgG antibodies indicate that the body is familiar with and tolerant of the proteins of these foods and nothing more.

If you are in doubt whether you are lactose intolerant, you can keep a self-observed food diary for a few weeks. Write down everything you eat and record how you feel. If you’re still in doubt, replace the milk with lactose-free products and stay tuned. Simple and free.

Is lactose found only in dairy products?

“Recently, lactose can be found in almost every product. It has become widely used in both the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry, – says Guzalia Shakurova. – Lactose, bakery products, soft and alcoholic beverages, meat products, etc. It is used as a flavoring and foaming agent in the production of products, giving a pleasant taste to products and creating an attractive texture.

In the pharmaceutical industry, lactose is widely used as an excipient in pharmaceutical formulations.”

Should you cut out dairy completely?

Dairy products are a source of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, including calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth, muscle contractions, and immune support. However, when there is a reaction to even a small amount of lactose, in this case it is worth consulting with a specialist who can replace vitamins contained in prohibited foods.