Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest, without discomfort, normal amounts of lactose, milk sugar. This is because the body has a low amount of lactase, the enzyme that makes lactose digestible and is that after breastfeeding the human being spontaneously suffers a progressive decrease in lactase. The amount of lactase that persists after this regulation will determine our tolerance to dairy products.

Do not avoid your consumption

From the nutritional point of view, it is not advisable to eliminate the consumption of milk and dairy since they have a high concentration of calcium, a mineral necessary for our body. In fact, an adult person needs 1000-1500mg of calcium to maintain a correct state of their bone health. In addition, calcium intake at early ages, especially in girls, provides additional protection against osteoporosis after menopause.It is common that people who have digestive discomfort with milk and other dairy products, reduce their consumption, however this is a mistake since more consumption gives a greater adaptation of the organism thus increasing tolerance to them.

Ways to take dairy

What we tolerate worse are high amounts after a meal, the limit would be a large glass of milk. The intolerant, small amounts so that one way to decrease symptoms is to spread the consumption of lactose during the day and reduce the ration to a size that we tolerate.

Another thing is unfermented dairy products because they contain more lactose and therefore their intake should be controlled. On the opposite side are the yogurts and cheeses that are better tolerated. The first to be fermented and the second because they have a slower digestion.

One of the most positive advances in food technology is the manufacture of milk without lactose. It is suitable for intolerant, does not produce symptoms associated with intolerance and allows regular consumption favoring a good nutritional status.