Primary Lactose Intolerance is one of the most common types of lactose intolerance problems worldwide. About 75% of the world population is affected by lactose intolerance of which about more than half is affected by primary lactase deficiency. Primary lactase deficiency happens with age and cannot be cured. You can just control the gastrointestinal symptoms by supplying the body with lactose free foods, but not completely eliminate lactase deficiency.
Primary Lactose Intolerance – Causes: Primary Lactose Intolerance is caused by genetic disorder. Actually, one cannot call it a disorder as research shows that human population has been genetically conditioned to stop producing lactase after the weaning period. But we humans keep drinking milk even after weaning period and hence, lactase deficiency has taken gigantic proportions in the modern world.
Research reveals that a genetic mutation which happened years ago had resulted in the dominant, lactase persistent gene in certain pockets of the world population. People who have the lactase persistent gene (gene that produces lactase even after weaning) have the ability to consume milk and milk products for an entire lifetime without symptoms. But those who have lactase deficiency cannot consume even a little amount of dairy in their food.
The lactase deficiency gene is a recessive gene. If one of the parents is lactase deficient, the child is prone to lactase deficiency. However, lactase deficiency in a normal child starts only after the age of 5 to 7 or the weaning period. On the other hand, the lactase persistent gene is a dominant gene. People who underwent this genetic mutation more than 10,000 years ago belonged to the dairy farming communities. Most of the Northern Europeans, some Asians and some tribes in Africa still carry the dominant, lactase-persistent gene. These people do not have the risk of developing primary lactose intolerance.
Primary Lactose Intolerance – Symptoms: Symptoms of primary lactose intolerance are abdominal gas, abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, borborygmi, flatulence and diarrhea. In infants, diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, while in adults, nausea is more prevalent. Stools that are a result of primary lactose intolerance are frothy, explosive and accompanied by gas. They also have a foul odor, compared to ordinary stools. Since these symptoms are common to every other gastrointestinal disorder, primary lactose intolerance has to be confirmed with proper diagnosis.
Primary Lactose Intolerance – Diagnosis: The first step toward a diagnosis is the creation of a food journal. Observe everything you experience after eating dairy foods. Go on a dairy free diet for a week and see if the symptoms subside. If they do, then, chances are, you have lactose intolerance. If the symptoms persist inspite of a dairy free diet for 10 days, you need to check your doctor for other gastrointestinal conditions.
If you suspect lactose intolerance, you need to move to the next step – which is to identify the type of lactose intolerance – primary, secondary or congenital – you have. Once you have zeroed in on your problem and the type of the problem, you need to confirm it with clinical tests and analysis. Hydrogen Breath Test is one kind of test where the amount of hydrogen in your breath (after taking lactose) is measured. If you have more than the normal ratio, chances are, there is fermented lactose in your intestines. In other words, you are lactose intolerant. Stool sample test is another test which confirms that it is lactose intolerance and not IBS or any other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Primary Lactose Intolerance – Treatment: There is no permanent cure for lactose intolerance till now. All you can do is eliminate lactose from the diet and alleviate the symptoms. If that sounds bad to you, don’t worry. You can substitute dairy through milk alternatives or non-dairy foods like soy cheese, soy milk, almond milk, soy cake, lactose-fortified juice etc.
