What are the side effects of being lactose intolerant?

If you’re reading this, chances are you or someone you know is lactose intolerant. Don’t worry, that’s nothing to be ashamed of – in fact, according to some studies, up to 65% of people worldwide have some form of lactase deficiency (1). But what exactly does it mean to be lactose intolerant? And what kind of side effects can you expect if you’re living with this condition?

Understanding Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder that affects individuals who have trouble digesting lactose; a type of sugar found in dairy products such as milk and cheese. People with this condition have low levels of an enzyme called “lactase” which breaks down lactose into smaller sugars that can easily be absorbed by your body (2).

Without enough lactase enzymes, undigested lactose will stay in your gut and move through your system causing unpleasant symptoms.

The Symptoms

Some people may experience milder symptoms while others may get more severe ones. Here are the most common side effects often associated with being unable to digest dairy:

Digestive

  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation

Can we just all agree for one second how annoying these symptoms sound like? You don’t know whether it’s coming or going and I’m only referring on Dairy Products! We ain’t getting anywhere close to spicy food yet!

Non-Digestive

Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly depending on how familiarized oneself should be with a bit of knowledge), there are other seemingly unrelated conditions caused by unfavorable reactions from our dear friend‘s absence ‘lactase’. These include:
– Migraines headaches
– Acne breakouts
Did anyone else raise their brows at “Acne Breakouts”? Thank God for anti-acne and surprise, they’re closely related to the way our guts work.

Overall, living with lactose intolerance may not be pleasant. Of course, it could always be worse – as long-time sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome can attest to!

Managing Your Symptoms

While lactose intolerance won’t kill you (hopefully!) thankfully there are ways in which you can avoid/minimize their occurrence:

The Culprit

If #Dairy has been your only dietary love then we might have some bad news for you…

The best way to keep symptoms at bay? Avoid dairy products! I know this sounds like a herculean task especially when cheese pizza is life but hey let’s emphasize dairy substitutes/analogues that are available in supermarkets worldwide now. It’s 2021 already!

Medications

Another option is taking over-the-counter medicines specifically formulated to help reduce lactose intolerance symptoms such as Lactaid pills Chewing on these tablets actually gave me a kick when I was out eating ice cream with Sarah because according to people who take them‚ “It all comes down to the dosage”.

Considering an appointment with your GP or Nutrionist would help tremendously too.

BYOB-Bring Your Own Butter (!)

This might sound familiar if you’ve ever dined out before-you want butter/margarine on bread or a particular sauce poured over seafood-suddenly you freeze thinking about whether said items contain any milk content whatsoever courtesy of being ‘that’ guy/girl. In times like these/ situations similar:, bring along your own little tub of Dairy Substitutes whenever possible.

You never know though-a lack OF explanation might draw attention towards us instead!

Conclusion

Nobody likes experiencing uncomfortable symptoms like bloating or having diarrhea after consuming food – especially if one later discovers it’s momentary pleasure wasn’t worth hours of pain. But if you’re lactose intolerant, you don’t have to worry too much. Adjusting your diet and taking the right treatments can definitely ease up those symptoms.

Finally, we hope this article has helped provide you with some guidance on managing life as a lactose malabsorber It’s important to take care of not just our physical health but also what goes inside our bodies.

Sources:(1)https//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5850365/
(2) https://medlineplus.gov/lactoseintolerance.html

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