What is Lactose Intolerance?

Ever had some cheese and suddenly felt queasy? Or maybe had some milk in your cereal, and you can’t seem to shake off that feeling of nausea? If you sometimes feel sick after consuming dairy, then you might be lactose intolerant.

Milk and dairy contain lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. When lactose isn’t broken down in the gut with an enzyme known as lactase, it can wreak havoc on your digestive system. If you have a low level of lactase in your gut, you body is unable to break down lactose into simple, digestible sugars. You thus become intolerant to lactose, also called lactose sensitivity.

Lactose intolerance is not a milk allergy; it is a lactase deficiency. You wouldn’t want to eat dairy. When your lactose levels are low, your body can easily react to a buildup of lactose, and you can experience symptoms of lactose sensitivity.

What Does Lactose Sensitivity Feel Like?

It can sometimes feel like someone lit a fire in your gut. Symptoms can occur thirty minutes to two hours after drinking milk or consuming dairy products. The intensity of your symptoms may vary depending on your sensitivity to lactose. Symptoms can range from mild nausea, abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas, to severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea

What causes the lack of Lactase?

It starts when the cells lining your gut produce abnormally low amounts of lactase. A lactase deficiency can develop gradually or suddenly, depending on why your gut stopped producing lactase in the first place. This is sometimes genetic, or can also be caused by bowel conditions, infections, surgery or a bowel injury.

Can Lactose Intolerance be developed?

Yes, it’s possible to develop lactose intolerance. Some of the factors that make you more prone to becoming sensitive to lactose include diseases affecting the gut. e.g. Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and the Metabolic Syndrome.

What is the Metabolic Syndrome?

The Metabolic Syndrome includes a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition. The symptoms include obesity, hypertension, cholesterol, inflammation levels, autoimmune problems, hormone imbalances, blood sugar problems, sleep quality, energy problems, and fatty liver problems.  Special needs children have been shown through research to have a metabolic problem.

What can you do?

If you love milk but cannot tolerate it, find out about Camel Milk

Camel Milk is also a way to improve your metabolism.  See PureLife Care+

Improve a metabolic problem in a Special Needs Child, see Teknon.