Where is lactose found in the body

These foods may contain lactose if prepared with milk-based ingredients e. Most grocery stores now carry lactose-free milk, yogurt and cheese. There is lactose-free milk, yogurt and cheese available that have the same amount of calcium as the regular products. Choose these to get enough calcium. The following non-dairy foods and beverages are also sources of calcium:. Find more food sources of calcium here.

Speak to your health care provider or dietitian about calcium supplements if you think you are not getting enough calcium from food.

Lactase pills can be taken before eating meals containing lactose so you are less likely to get symptoms. There are also lactase drops that can be added to liquids like milk and cream. Speak to your pharmacist about the forms of lactase that are available. Dietitians look beyond fads to deliver reliable, life-changing advice.

Want to unlock the potential of food? Connect with a dietitian. What is lactose intolerance? What causes lactose intolerance? Here are some common causes of this condition: Lactose intolerance often runs in families hereditary.

Symptoms may start during the teen or adult years. In some cases, the small intestine stops making lactase after an injury or after a disease or infection. Some babies born too early premature babies may not be able to make enough lactase.

This is often a short-term problem that goes away. In very rare cases, people are born with an inability to make any lactase at all. What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance? Symptoms may include: Belly abdominal cramps and pain Nausea Bloating Gas Diarrhea How severe your symptoms are will depend on how much lactose you have ingested and how much lactase your body makes. How is lactose intolerance diagnosed?

Some tests can help your doctor check for lactose intolerance. These may include: Lactose tolerance test. This test checks how your digestive system absorbs lactose. You will be asked not to eat or drink anything for about 8 hours before the test.

This often means not eating after midnight. For the test, you will drink a liquid that contains lactose. Some blood samples will be taken over a 2-hour period.

These will check your blood sugar blood glucose level. Hydrogen breath test. You will drink a liquid containing a lot of lactose.

Your breath will be checked several times. High levels of hydrogen in your breath may mean you are lactose intolerant. Stool acidity test. This test is used for infants and young children. It checks how much acid is in the stool.

If someone is not digesting lactose, their stool will have lactic acid, glucose, and other fatty acids. Foods to Avoid if You Have IBS While lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome IBS are two different conditions, both can cause similar symptoms for people who drink milk or eat milk products. Read More. A lactase enzyme supplement can help too. Taking this before you eat foods that contain dairy helps your body digest the lactose sugar in dairy and prevent pain, cramping, bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

Dairy foods are the best source of calcium , a mineral that's important for bone growth. Because teens need about 1, milligrams mg of calcium each day, experts recommend that even those with lactose intolerance include some dairy in their diet.

Talking to a registered dietitian is a good idea. They're trained in nutrition and can you come up with eating alternatives and develop a well-balanced diet that provides lots of calcium for developing strong bones. Some teens might need calcium and vitamin D supplements. Reviewed by: J. Fernando del Rosario, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

What Is Lactose Intolerance? What Happens in Lactose Intolerance? Besides age, people can become lactose intolerant due to: Ethnic background. People of Asian, African, Native American, and Hispanic backgrounds are more likely to develop lactose intolerance at a young age. Other problems with the digestive tract. People who have inflammation of their upper small intestine, such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease, have less of the lactase enzyme.

Some antibiotics can trigger temporary lactose intolerance because they affect how the intestine makes lactase. After a bout of infectious diarrhea, some people can develop a temporary lactose intolerance that usually improves after a few days or weeks.

Usually within 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating, someone with lactose intolerance will have: nausea stomach cramps bloating gas diarrhea How Is Lactose Intolerance Diagnosed? How Is Lactose Intolerance Treated? What About Calcium? You also can eat non-dairy products like: calcium-fortified juice or soy milk green, leafy vegetables like broccoli, collard greens, kale, and turnip greens beans salmon almonds soybeans dried fruit tofu Talking to a registered dietitian is a good idea.