Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest milk and other dairy products. Lactose or milk sugar is the culprit in this condition. If you find that drinking a cup of milk or eating foods loaded with cheese causes gastric upset, you may be lactose intolerant. This could lead to asking the question, what is lactose intolerance and how can I know if I am?

In order to digest lactose, the body must produce an enzyme called lactase. Persons that do not produce enough lactase have difficulty in digesting milk and dairy products. In babies, this enzyme is necessary to digest mother’s milk.

Lactose intolerance is common in premature babies, but children born full term do not usually show signs until later in life. The problem is also more common in some races than others and in African Americans children may show signs as early as age 2. In Caucasians, children usually do not show problems with lactose until age 5. People with a northern or western European heritage are less likely to be lactose intolerant than are those who trace their ancestry to the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia or Native America.

By age 20, 30 million Americans will display some type of this condition. In adults, the problem is not dangerous, and in addition to heredity may be traced to infections of the small intestine, intestinal disease or bowel surgery.

Since other intestinal problems may cause similar symptoms, a doctor may want to perform some tests to diagnose lactose intolerance. Tests include a lactose tolerance test, lactose-hydrogen breath test, stool pH and Enteroscopy.

People with the problem can improve their symptoms by decreasing the amount of milk and milk products consumed. Even with low lactase levels, it may be possible to drink up to half a cup of milk without problems, but larger servings of a cup or more can cause problems.

Since avoiding dairy products leads to a lack of calcium, it is important to take steps to ensure the diet provides enough of this mineral. Be sure to include calcium enriched foods as well as those naturally rich in the mineral. In addition, it is a good idea to speak with your doctor about the need for a calcium supplement.