Lactose Intolerance - LifeCare Diagnostic Medical Centre

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ARE YOU Lactose IntoleranT?

LifeCare Dignostic

October 4, 2021

Lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products is normally broken down by an enzyme called lactase. People with lactose intolerance don’t make enough of the enzyme lactase.

Lactose is found primarily in dairy foods. They contain calcium, protein and vitamins such as vitamin D for the development of strong, healthy bones.

In 2006, there is a study on the topic of lactose intolerance among three ethnic groups in Malaysia. The study recruited 300 participants and showed that 88% of the Malays, 91% of the Chinese and 83% of the Indians were found to be lactose intolerant.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance

Abdominal Cramp, Bloating

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Nausea

Complications of lactose intolerance

Avoiding dairy food may lead you in difficulty obtaining the recommended intake of vital vitamins and minerals and eventually place you at the risk of getting:

• Osteopenia

• Osteoporosis

• Malnutrition

How to diagnose lactose intolerance?

A doctor can usually tell whether you have lactose intolerance by asking questions about your symptoms.
Before seeing your doctor, keep a dairy of what you eat and drink, and also the symptoms you experienced.
Your doctor could recommend trying to remove lactose from your diet for two weeks to see if it helps to relieve your symptoms.

Guideline for treating lactose intolerance

Swap to lactose-free/low lactose foods:

Food Contains Lactose

Foods free of/Low Lactose

Regular Milk

Lactose-free milk
Lactase-added milk
Plant-based milk (e.g.: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk)
Yoghurt
Fermented/hard/aged cheeses (e.g.: Swiss, parmesan and blue cheese)

Ice Cream

Sherbet

Guideline for treating lactose intolerance

Swap to lactose-free/low lactose foods:

Food Contains Lactose

Regular Milk

Ice Cream

Foods free of/Low Lactose

Lactose-free milk
Lactase-added milk
Plant-based milk (e.g.: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk)
Yoghurt
Fermented/hard/aged cheeses (e.g.: Swiss, parmesan and blue cheese)

Sherbet

Increase your dairy-free calcium rich foods:

Increase your vitamin D rich foods to help absorb calcium:

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️You can speak with our Dietitians to further discuss in managing your diet and food intake to avoid from worsening of symptoms. Book your appointment with us today 👉: https://bit.ly/2Ylt6lH