If someone with a lactose intolerance continues to consume too much lactose, they may experience worsened symptoms, lower mood, and a reduced quality of life. Chronic diarrhea may lead to complications such as malnutrition, unexplained weight loss, and anemia.
People with lactose intolerance are unable to fully digest the sugar (lactose) in milk. As a result, they have diarrhea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. The condition, which is also called lactose malabsorption, is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable.
Lactose intolerance is when someone has trouble digesting lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods. If people with lactose intolerance eat dairy products, the lactose from these foods pass into their intestines, which can lead to gas, cramps, a bloated feeling, and diarrhea.
Lactose intolerance won't seriously harm you. If you can cope with the symptoms while the lactose passes through your digestive system, they'll eventually end. However, you can easily avoid lactose intolerance symptoms with lactase supplements and lactose-free dairy products.
Although lactose intolerance itself isn't harmful -- it may result in gas, bloating or nausea -- it does affect a person's health in the long-term because avoiding dairy foods reduces calcium intake. According to Savaiano, three-fourths of all calcium in diets in the United States come from dairy foods.
It can adversely affect your gut and produce symptoms of discomfort, but it is unlikely to be the cause of weight gain. Resolving an intolerance will probably not help with losing body fat, but it can help you start feeling better and therefore have the motivation to start a wellness journey.
Secondary lactose intolerance occurs when the gut lining (where lactase is produced) is damaged. This can occur due to a bout of gastroenteritis or due to chronic irritation (such as that due to food allergy or food intolerance), among other reasons.
“Some people are able to tolerate lactose throughout their lives, but others become more lactose intolerant as they age,” usually caused by your genes, she says. “Some people stop producing lactase, or produce less of it, as they reach adulthood and beyond.”
It begins in the small intestine, where cells don't produce enough of the enzyme that helps break down lactose, the sugar in dairy products. This means that the body can't absorb that sugar, so it moves on to the large intestine, where it's fermented by bacteria. This fermentation causes symptoms like gas and bloating.
A progressive increase in milk intake and the consumption of small amounts of milk more frequently will help stimulate lactase production. Drinking milk in conjunction with other foods will help slow digestion, reducing your chance of experiencing an unpleasant reaction.
Lactose intolerance usually gives a person a stomachache and gas pains or stomach cramps. Gas pains can feel sharp at times, though they don't usually feel like burning. Gas pains can hurt a lot, but they don't last long. They often move quickly to different parts of the belly.
In people with lactose intolerance caused by an underlying condition, treating the condition might restore the body's ability to digest lactose, although that process can take months. For other causes, you might avoid the discomfort of lactose intolerance by following a low-lactose diet.
An enzyme called lactase is needed by the body to digest lactose. Lactose intolerance develops when the small intestine does not make enough of this enzyme. The digestive system organs in the abdominal cavity include the liver, gallbladder, stomach, small intestine and large intestine.
See your GP if: You have symptoms of lactose intolerance and: your symptoms keep coming back and often happen after eating. you've noticed changes in your poo that are not usual for you, such as looser poo, pooing more often, or constipation for 3 weeks.
It is possible to become lactose intolerant all of a sudden due to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diabetic enteropathy, some medicines, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, prolonged abstinence from dairy triggers, aging, and others.
You can take lactase tablets before you eat or drink milk products. You can also add lactase drops to milk before you drink it. The lactase breaks down the lactose in foods and drinks, lowering your chances of having lactose intolerance symptoms.
So, how long does dairy stay in your system? Dairy may be digested in as little as 1-2 hours. Some people may take up to 72 hours to digest and eliminate dairy. But traces of dairy may remain in the system for 21 days.
Living with lactose intolerance
Living with stomach pain, gas, and bloating is uncomfortable. To feel better, watch what you eat and drink. Limiting your dairy will make your feel more comfortable.
Once the diagnosis comes out positive for lactose intolerance, we suggest that you avoid consuming dairy and all foods and drinks that contain lactose temporarily. Do this consistently from three weeks to six months to give your intestinal wall lining enough time to heal.
Results showed varying degrees of efficacy but an overall positive relationship between probiotics and lactose intolerance.
Cutting out dairy can result in weight loss but it might not be permanent. You may also get sick more often and because you're lacking vitamins like calcium.
In addition, full-fat dairy products can also lead to belly fat, when eaten in excess.