Lactose Intolerance. Most people dread the very mention of it. Reason: They will be prohibited from consuming dairy products for life. That is something unbearable to anyone who has spent a lifetime eating processed foods, ice creams, cheese and milk products. Is lactose intolerance permanent, like diabetes or AIDS? Is there no cure or way out of it? This article explores the possible “exits†or “way-outs†of lactose intolerance.
Lactose Intolerance – Possible cures: If you approach your doctor and ask him for a cure for your lactose intolerance, he will probably nod his head in a negative way and say there is no cure! True. Lactose Intolerance, as such, is incurable. You cannot make your body lactase efficient by consuming a few pills for months or days. Neither can you operate on your small intestine and insert a lactase reservoir. So, what then is the way out? Or, is there a way out? Below are a list of possible way-outs of lactose intolerance:
1. Dietary Supplements: If you are an ardent dairy lover and cannot survive without consuming milk or dairy products, this should be your pick. Dietary supplements are all over the market to help you digest the lactose ingested. These are available in pills or powders or drops. Either, you need to take them before taking milk or milk products or add them to your milk to reduce its lactose content. Whichever way, these help alleviate most of the symptoms and offer you a smooth sail inspite of consuming dairy items. Pills are available to supplement lactase, drops are there to reduce the lactose in milk and several other dietary supplements exist to control the symptoms before they even start. Lactaid drops, lactase pills are some of these. Though they are readily available in the market, it is better to consume them only after consultation from a doctor or a dietitian. Excess consumption of these pills can lead to other problems.
2. Long-Term Solutions: Some people, expert dietitians and doctors offer what they call, “long-term solutions†or permanent solutions. This involves following a particular dairy-free or low-dairy diet program, suggested by the dietitian and then, taking a powder or pill to regulate your body’s lactase production. Most of these lactase therapies slowly make the body get used to the consumption of lactose. They develop lactose tolerance in the body in a gradual way. Lactagen is such popular lactase therapy in the market.
3. Gene Therapy: This is still in the incubation stage. This involves transfer of an artificial lactase gene into a person and then inducing lactase production through the gene. This therapy aims to change the genetic conditioning of lactose intolerance. Research is underway with regard to this therapy, which has been tested with rats.
4. Homeopathy/Acupressure Therapy: Homeopathic doctors say that they can cure lactose intolerance with acupressure treatments and antipsoric medications. Many propose to do this and also say they have been successful in giving a permanent cure for lactose intolerance. However, this cure or remedy is yet to catch up with the mass.
