Crystal Nelson
If the milk causes stomach ache, there is actually “only” a deficit. Lactose intolerance is due to a lack of the enzyme lactase. Is this dangerous? Find out here.
Hardly any meal is dairy-free
Chocolate – the sweet delicacy slowly melts in your mouth. But a short time later, abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness come.
And this lactose is one of the most common triggers for food intolerance in Germany. Every fifth German tolerates lactose poorly or not at all. The lactose from food is not digested because the enzyme lactase is not produced in the small intestine or only in small quantities.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance usually appear shortly after consumption, but in individual cases only after 26 hours at the latest. They range from abdominal pain to swallowing difficulties, headaches, dry eyes, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps to depression. Nevertheless, lactose intolerance is not a disease, it is rather an intolerance. If intolerance is suspected, the doctor can perform an H2 breath test, which indicates insufficient lactose intake.
Calcium supplements are needed if you don’t drink milk
However, this does not always work. A special blood test, which can be used to detect a genetic mutation, provides clarity. And as a third option, the doctor can also examine the blood for its sugar content after ingesting lactose.
However, intolerance does not only cause unpleasant symptoms. If you do without dairy products, long-term osteoporosis (bone loss) can develop due to calcium deficiency. Special lactose-free dairy products that you can get in the supermarket are therefore useful. If you do not drink milk at all, you should definitely take calcium supplements.
If you don’t want to take any medication, you should pay close attention to the lactose in food in everyday life. Because even crispbread, sausage, cakes, mashed potatoes, salad dressings, and even some medicines can contain lactose. So always check the entire list of ingredients and the package insert. Otherwise, your body will fight back.
