Lactose Intolerance Prevalence
Lactose intolerance may not be as prevalent as was once thought, suggests a study published in the September/October 2009 issue of the journal Nutrition Today. According to the study abstract, telephone interviews were conducted with over one thousand adults from the following ethnic groups: European American (EA), African American (AA), and Hispanic American (HA). The study found prevalence rates of 12 to 13 percent, much different from the approximately 25 percent figure normally stated.
Keeping in mind that this is only one study, it does suggest that you should not jump to a quick conclusion that you are lactose-intolerant. The downside of a misdiagnosis is that you might be avoiding certain nutritious foods needlessly. On the other hand, there is often an overlap between lactose intolerance and IBS. So confusing! The bottom line is that if you suspect you are lactose intolerant, have a discussion with your doctor. They may suggest diagnostic tests for the presence of lactose intolerance, the use of a food diary, and/or an elimination diet.
For more information:
Source:
Niklas, T., et.al. "Prevalence of Self-reported Lactose Intolerance in a Multiethnic Sample of Adults" Nutrition Today 2009 44:222-227.
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I hope this helps someone suffering from what I had.
I had mucous running continuously from my bowels for two years. It was so bad I wanted to die. I had a small polyp removed but it wasn’t cleared up until I stopped eating anything that had milk in it. There’s a protein in milk (casein,) perhaps more than one, that the body reacts to as a foreign substance. It causes inflammationa and kicks the immune system in gear so your immune response is probably hyperactive. And if you’re continuosly eating products with milk, it won’t go away and you’ll never learn the cause. The milk also creates mucous on your intestine so your not absorbing/processing food as efficiently. I also feel my milk consumption created the polyp.
I hope this helps you, and wish that doctors had been smart enough to figure it out. But they weren’t. It took a while for me to find the source of the problem but now I’m okay unless I have milk products: then it starts up again. Good luck to you.