Health ShortsLactose Intollerant
Are You in the Lactose Minority? About 75 percent of adults in the world have some difficulty digesting the lactose in milk and milk solids. The lowest prevalence of lactose intolerance is in Northern Europe, the United States and Australia. Samples of adults in various countries have found the following percentages of adults with lactose intolerance: Dutch–1 percent Swedes–2 percent Europeans in Australia–4 percent European Americans–12 percent Southern Italians–41 percent North American Jews–68.8 percent African Americans–75 percent Alaskan Eskimo–80 percent Asian Americans–90 percent Southeast Asians–98 percent Native Americans–100 percent [SOURCE: Summarized from other research in “Lactose intolerance,” Wikipedia, December 27, 2008] If you suffer from irritable bowel symptoms--abdominal cramps, gas, bloating and diarrhea 30 minutes or so after eating–there are many reasons besides lactose intolerance. One of these is fructose intolerance. Fructose is a common sweetener in ice cream, frozen foods and beverages. In addition, vegetables contain 14 to 18 grams, and fruits, 13 to 27 grams of fructose. Some studies have found fructose intolerance affecting as many as 58 percent of persons with irritable bowel symptoms. [SOURCE: w. Steven Pray and Joshua J. Pray, “Lactose intolerance: how to cope,” US Pharmacist, July, 2004; “Fat, fructose may contribute to IBS symptoms, Medscape Medical News, October 13, 2003] Dairy products vary in the amount of lactose they provide. Percentages of lactose in milk products include: Whole milk–4.6 percent Skimmed milk–4.8 percent Goat milk–4.4 percent Sour cream–2.7 percent Heavy cream–1.7 percent Imitation cream–2.3 to 6.8 percent Brie or camembert cheese–a trace Cheddar cheese–0.1 percent Processed cheese slices–5.0 percent Cottage cheese–3.1 percent Fruit yogurt–4.0 percent Ice cream (vanilla)–5.2 percent [SOURCE: M.C.E. Lomer, G.C. Parkes and J.D. Sanderson, “Review article: lactose intolerance in clinical practice–myths and realities,” Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, January, 2008] A study of female sixth graders found that those who thought they had lactose intolerance had significantly lower bone mineral density in the lower back–putting them at potential risk of osteoporosis in later life.
Of 291 young females from California and Indiana, 19 percent identified themselves as being intolerant of milk. In fact, only about half of these subjects were actually lactose intolerant (as determined by breath-hydrogen testing). On the other hand, some were lactose intolerant without knowing it.
Those who were actually lactose intolerant had similar bone density to those who were not. Those with perceived lactose intolerance, however, averaged about 200 milligrams a day less in calcium intake and had lower bone mineral density.
[SOURCE: William T. Basco, Jr., “Perceived milk intolerance and bone mineral content in sixth-grade girls,” Medscape Pediatrics, January, 2008] | ArchiveAIDS & HIV |
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