For dietary treatment, lactose specifically must be avoided. Lactose is found exclusively in milk and in products made using milk. Low-lactose milk and milk products in particular are available to people with lactose intolerance. Calcium has a high bioavailability especially from milk and dairy products. However, if milk and dairy products are completely avoided, this will result in reduced absorption of nutrients and vital substances (micronutrients):
- High quality protein
- Valuable amino acids
- Vitamins of the B group
- Vitamin A, D, E, K
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Molybdenum
For this reason, affected individuals should be careful to meet their increased needs for these vital substances through alternative foods or substitutions. Deficiencies, especially in calcium and the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, K endangers bone and dental health.
Children with lactose intolerance are at increased risk of rickets if they are deficient in calcium and vitamin D.
Dietary recommendations for lactase deficiency
- Prefer cheeses in which lactose is largely broken down during the ripening process.
- Acidified milk products, good tolerance despite the high content of lactose – enzymes of lactobacilli split high amounts of lactose into glucose and galactose even after consumption.
- Fermented dairy products – yogurt, kefir, sour milk – with live lactobacilli.
- Low lactose milk – produced by partial cleavage of milk sugar with lactase.
- Oral substitution with the enzyme lactase obtained from microorganisms in tablet form, improvement or normalization of lactose tolerance.
It should be emphasized that some patients are extremely sensitive to even very small amounts of lactose (1 g/day) in food. In this case, sufferers should choose only those milk and dairy products that are completely free of lactose. It is also important to know that milk or lactose is also used in the production of various foods such as chocolate, ice cream and some sausages. During the processing of sour milk products and cheese, depending on the manufacturing process, high amounts of lactose remain – lactose content of up to 5%.
In the vast majority of cases, however, there is only a relative deficiency of lactase, so that again small amounts of lactose or low-lactose products – distributed throughout the day – are tolerated.
If lactose intolerance is not particularly pronounced, the large intestine can be accustomed to a higher intake of lactose by slowly increasing the daily intake of lactose. The increase in tolerance is made possible by the adaptation of the intestinal flora.
Significance of lactose in the human organism
Lactose promotes the absorption of minerals and protein in the intestine. In addition, lactose improves the absorption and utilization of animal as well as vegetable protein. Consequently, in the complete absence of lactose in the diet, important minerals such as calcium and magnesium can only be inadequately absorbed. Patients who have to avoid lactose completely due to their increased sensitivity should pay attention to their dietary calcium intake – preferably lactose-free milk and dairy products. In this case, additional substitution with calcium is extremely useful to avoid deficiency symptoms.
