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A significant challenge for people with lactose intolerance is getting enough calcium.  If you are faced with that problem you might find that Greek yogurt might work in your diet. Yogurt is made by introducing bacteria to heated and pasteurized milk, but Greek yogurt takes the process a step further by straining the yogurt’s whey, removing the extra fat and, with it, a large portion of the lactose, leaving behind less than 7 grams of lactose per serving. Compare that to 11 grams in one cup of milk and you have a dairy treat that is a calcium option for some lactose intolerant consumers.

Lactose intolerance is a very common problem those impact is compounded by loss of key nutrients especially calcium.  A recent study by the National Dairy Council showed that more than half of people with lactose intolerance fail to meet established standards for dairy intake.  While this message is a bid self serving it does correlate with other studies that have identified similar nutritional deficiencies in this population.  If you or a family member believes they have lactose intolerance the first consideration would be to confirm the condition using the hydrogen breath test.  It is very common for people to mistake gastric distress symptoms for lactose intolerance when it is in fact a different problem.  Don’t alter your diet without knowing for sure. But if you do have lactose intolerance be extra diligent to track your calcium intake and make sure you are adequately compensating for the lost nutrients provided by dairy.

Lactose intolerance and milk allergy are often considered the same problem.  But they are two entirely different medical conditions that require different courses of action.  People with lactose intolerance experience distress after consuming dairy products because they have a lack of an enzyme known as lactase.  This condition can be detected using the hydrogen breath test for lactose intolerance.  If you test positive all is not lost because there are effective strategies for treating lactose intolerance.  These treatments include taking supplements to replace lactase, eating dairy that has lactose removed, and learning through trial and error your level of tolerance.  Milk allergy is a much more serious problem that is caused by an allergic reaction to a specific protein found in milk known as beta-lactoglobulin.  Milk allergy presents with some of the same symptoms as lactose intolerance (ie. Diarrhea) but in many cases includes swelling of the mouth and mucous membranes. About 2 to 3 percent of children are believed to have milk allergy.  There is no treatment for a milk allergy other than avoiding milk.  However, recent research has suggested that high amounts of iron incorporated into the milk protein might protect against the allergen.  Further research is needed to understand how to increase the iron content and to confirm these findings.

Much has been written about the IBS and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.  Fewer studies have focused on the incidence of lactose intolerance in IBS patient in spite of the fact it is very common for these patient to self perceive that they are lactose intolerant.   A recent study evaluated 51 IBS patients using the hydrogen breath test to ascertain the prevalence of lactose intolerance. A total of 24 of 51 (47%) had a positive hydrogen breath test for lactose intolerance.  Furthermore, the researchers noted that patients with a high severity of IBS were more likely to test positive for lactose intolerance.

Good article today http://www.thetimesnews.com/lifestyles/lifestyles-home/understand-the-facts-of-lactose-intolerance-1.348681 about lactose intolerance. Key take home...

This new research studied patients with diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome. The researchers found that about 50% of these patient tested positive using the hydrogen breath test for lactose intolerance. These patients were also characterized by high levels of anxiety, mucosal activation and increased visceral sensitivity. Interestingly, the researchers found that these patients when treated through dietary modification showed improvement in their symptoms. Thus the researchers concluded that a positive hydrogen breath test for lactose intolerance is a biomarker of when an IBS patient could be successful treated with dietary therapy.

A recently published study from the University of California at Davis Health System shows that autistic children have eight times more gastrointestinal problems than other children. To reach this conclusion researchers studied almost 1000 young children. The stomach problems, which include constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to food might be responsible for behavior issues in autistic children. The researchers concluded that more should be done to understand the causes of the stomach problems so that the children can be appropriately treated. Furthermore, the researchers believed that such treatment might improve behavior problems. Metabolic Solutions offers the hydrogen breath tests for fructose malabsorption and lactose intolerance that might be beneficial in understanding the stomach problems found in autistic kids.