Lactose Intolerance

It is estimated that over 50 million Americans suffer from symptoms of lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is the inability to tolerate dairy products, such as milk, ice cream, cheese and pizza. Symptoms include painful digestive symptoms of gas, cramps, bloating and/or diarrhea.

In general, lactose intolerance (LI) is not present at birth; instead it develops later in life, especially during early adolescence and between the ages of 35 and 45. LI is primarily hereditary; however, LI may also be brought on by infections, chemotherapy, reactions to penicillin, and avoidance of dairy products for a prolonged period of time.

Most compelling, by accepted AMA estimates, upwards of 75% of the world’s population suffer from lactose intolerance (estimated at 4.3 to 4.9 billion sufferers).

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition (2006), “the symptoms of lactose intolerance can lead to significant discomfort, disruption of the quality of life, and loss of school attendance, leisure and sports activities, and work time, all at a cost to individuals, families and society."

Health Risks

Lactose intolerance has been found to lead to many health risks from the inadequate intake of nutrients and calcium supplied by dairy products. The health risks include*:

• Osteoporosis
• Fragile bones
• Decreased bone mineral density
• Hypertension
• Colon & Breast Cancer

*Each of these diseases is also influenced by other factors (e.g., genetics, other dietary substances, environmental factors).

Diagnosis

Symptoms correlate with the amount of lactose ingested more strongly than with the degree of lactase deficiency. Lactose intolerance is often diagnosed by a clinical history which reveals a relationship between lactose ingestion and symptoms. Hydrogen breath tests may also be used to diagnose lactose intolerance and are more reliable than history or self reporting; hydrogen breath tests, however, are rarely used in patient diagnosis and are mainly conducted in clinical research settings. To differentiate LI from other digestive conditions, stool examination may be used to determine the presence of a parasite, blood tests may be used to determine the presence of celiac disease, and intestinal biopsies may be performed to determine mucosal problems leading to malabsorption.

In survey data of over 2,000 LI sufferers 51% reported being diagnosed by a doctor. Out of those seeing a doctor, 48% reported that their physician took a symptom score, while only 17% took a milk challenge test and 7% took a hydrogen breath test.

High Lactose Intolerant Prevalence in Ethnic Groups

Various ethnic groups are more likely to be lactose intolerant than others due to genetics. Lactose intolerance is common in cultures and in ethnic groups that avoid dairy entirely or consume very little of it. For instance, many Asians do not have dairy in their diets, thus their bodies have no need to produce the enzyme required to break down dairy products for proper digestion. Over time, these individuals stop passing on the gene for lactase production because they rarely utilize the enzyme themselves.

Ethnic groups in the United States who have the greatest percentages of lactose intolerance are:

Ethnic groups internationally who have the greatest percentages of lactose intolerance are: