Lactose intolerance

[Flyndaran]

Am I the only intolerant one that doesn't believe those stupid enzyme tablets do anything? They don't work at all for me. Maybe I have too acidic of a stomach or something but they don't.

[LeChatNoir]

My husband is lactose intolerant. He tried those enzyme tablets for a while, but they took so long to be effective and even then weren't 100% that he just said screw it. Now he just limits his dairy intake, or tries to anyway, and when he does eat cheese, etc. he treats the resulting symptoms. It's not a life threatening intolerance (can it be? I'll have to look that up...) but it makes him very uncomfortable to eat dairy. Unfortunately, cheese make up a lot of his favorite foods, so he subjects himself to misery a lot

[BlaqueKatt]

Am I the only intolerant one that doesn't believe those stupid enzyme tablets do anything?

Unless formally diagnosed by a physician through testing(Lactose tolerance blood test, or hydrogen breath test)-most people who believe they are lactose intolerant actually are not.

from the Mayo Clinic-
Lactose intolerance isn't easily diagnosed by signs and symptoms alone. Many other conditions, including stomach flu and irritable bowel syndrome, can give you similar symptoms


Why should so many people believe that they are lactose intolerant when they are not? This erroneous belief may be common for several reasons. People with unexplained (undiagnosed) gastrointestinal symptoms are looking for an explanation for their symptoms. Since lactose intolerance is a well-known condition, it provides these people with a ready (and welcome) explanation for their symptoms. Probably the most common way that people self-diagnose lactose intolerance is by an elimination diet, a diet that eliminates obvious milk and milk products. There are several problems with this type of "testing." Because symptoms of lactose intolerance are subjective and variable, there always is the possibility of a "placebo effect" in which people think they feel better eliminating milk when, in fact, they are no better. With subjective symptoms such as those of lactose intolerance, a placebo effect can be expected to occur 20%-40% of the time.

[anriana]

With lactose intolerance - real or not - do only direct dairy products cause upset or do processed byproducts like casien cause it too? Does it just depend?

[Flyndaran]

Only when I "overdo it" with dairy products do I suffer extreme fllatulance and loose stool. When I binge on cheese I sometimes get nasty bloating and abdomenal discomfort.

I eat too much dairy, but nothing else ever causes my symptoms. I was born so lactose inolerant that if it weren't for similac, I wouldn't have survived infancy.

[anriana]

Why wouldn't you have survived? Is lactose present in human milk too?

[Flyndaran]

Why wouldn't you have survived? Is lactose present in human milk too?

Lactose is milk sugar. All milk has it. Horse milk has so much that it can be fermented (kumis).
As an infant consuming only milk led to constant vomiting and diarrhea.
Eating dairy with other foods keeps me from having too much problem.

[BlaqueKatt]

I was born so lactose inolerant that if it weren't for similac, I wouldn't have survived infancy.

newsflash-similac contains lactose(made from cow's milk) and human milk does contain lactose but also the enzyme lactase to break it down as well-an infant that can't consume human milk has galactosemia-and can only survive on prescription formulas.

Lactose in food (such as dairy products) is broken down by the enzyme lactase into glucose and galactose. In individuals with galactosemia, the enzymes needed for further metabolism of galactose are severely diminished or missing entirely, leading to toxic levels of galactose in the blood, resulting in hepatomegaly (an enlarged liver), cirrhosis, renal failure, cataracts, brain damage, and ovarian failure. Without treatment, mortality in infants with galactosemia is about 75%.

Lactose intolerance in infants is very rarely seen and then only in babies born before 34 weeks gestation.

[Flyndaran]

newsflash-similac contains lactose(made from cow's milk) and human milk does contain lactose but also the enzyme lactase to break it down as well-an infant that can't consume human milk has galactosemia-and can only survive on prescription formulas.
...
Lactose intolerance in infants is very rarely seen and then only in babies born before 34 weeks gestation.

Then why couldn't I handle regular milk at all? My mom is a bit forgetful; maybe she mixed up formulas. I've had problems with milk from birth on.
I was six weeks old when they let me have solid food, so I wasn't on any liquid diet for very long.

[BlaqueKatt]

Then why couldn't I handle regular milk at all?

regular milk for an infant -that can be lethal

Infants fed whole cow's milk don't get enough vitamin E, iron, and essential fatty acids. They also get too much protein, sodium, and potassium. These levels may be too high for the infant's system to handle. Also, whole cow's milk protein and fat are more difficult for an infant to digest and absorb.



Giving solid food to infants less than six months old is not advisable as it may lead to the risk of food allergies later and new moms should rather breastfeed them exclusively, scientists say.//

Solid foods of all types should be avoided for the first six months, and certain items like cow's milk, eggs, fish, and nuts should not be introduced until even later, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), reported online edition of health magazine WebMD.

"It is important to understand that we are talking about exclusive breastfeeding, with no formula, soy or anything else," researcher Amal Assa'ad was quoted as saying. "This appears to be important for protecting against allergies."

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months, followed by gradual introduction of solid foods.

[AdminAssistant]

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months, followed by gradual introduction of solid foods.

I think my sister made it three months before switching to formula. 1) She wasn't producing enough. 2) Sitting in the bathroom during her breaks with a contraption strapped to her boobs was not happy fun times.

Breast may be best, but as long as there are working mamas, formula and other substitutes will be needed.

[Flyndaran]

...
Giving solid food to infants less than six months old is not advisable as it may lead to the risk of food allergies later and new moms should rather breastfeed them exclusively, scientists say.//

Solid foods of all types should be avoided for the first six months, and certain items like cow's milk, eggs, fish, and nuts should not be introduced until even later, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), reported online edition of health magazine WebMD.

"It is important to understand that we are talking about exclusive breastfeeding, with no formula, soy or anything else," researcher Amal Assa'ad was quoted as saying. "This appears to be important for protecting against allergies."
....

Allergies are overly diagnosed in the U.S. Most such experts are full of it.
I vomitted and suffered severe diarhea from even the smallest of any type of milk as an infant. Since I never suffered any form of cow allergy, I think my mom was just mistaken about which formula she eventually gave me.
I was given some solid food because I got very insistant and was never satisfied with liquids. My brothers and I have always been freakishly advanced in developmental markers. I could lift my head from birth. I tried to walk at five months, I spoke in full sentences before age three, etc.

[BlaqueKatt]

Breast may be best, but as long as there are working mamas, formula and other substitutes will be needed.

formula yes, that's what it's made for-"other substitutes"-wha?

"Keep in mind, too, that breast milk or formula provides everything your baby needs until he's 4 to 6 months old. Introducing cereal earlier than that puts him at a higher risk for allergies."

solid food is not an adequate substitute-neither is standard cow's milk

"Babies are born with a wonderful mechanism for knowing how much food they need. During the early months, they take their cues from the volume of what they drink. Adding cereal derails this mechanism. It forces them to take in deceptively large amounts of calories. It teaches them to overeat.

A major study looking for the causes of obesity found that short-circuiting young children’s self-regulation of how much they eat is a major cause of later obesity. Cereal in the bottle does just that.

Babies that are fed this way may appear to be unaffected – but those few weeks of added convenience may result in a lifetime of struggles with weight. This common practice may have contributed to our being the most obese generation in history."

[AFPheonix]

newsflash-similac contains lactose(made from cow's milk) and human milk does contain lactose but also the enzyme lactase to break it down as well-an infant that can't consume human milk has galactosemia-and can only survive on prescription formulas.


Lactose intolerance in infants is very rarely seen and then only in babies born before 34 weeks gestation.

Interestingly, There is a lactose free Similac out there. There's a number of different formulas on the market, both over the counter and prescription depending on your baby's nutritional needs. Some kids are just overly sensitive to different things and need to be accommodated.

[Flyndaran]

Interestingly, There is a lactose free Similac out there. There's a number of different formulas on the market, both over the counter and prescription depending on your baby's nutritional needs. Some kids are just overly sensitive to different things and need to be accommodated.

Oh, so my mom might NOT be full of it with a faulty memory?
Excellent, but that makes me genetically flawed by being born lactose intolerant. None of my relatives are, so that makes my mutant power massive flatulance and abdominal distension.