Recently a committee from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that many people in the U.S. think they are lactose intolerant – not able to digest milk or dairy products – when they actually are not. Due to this, these people are avoiding all dairy products, which causes them to be deficient in calcium, vitamin D and other crucial nutrients necessary for well-being and bone health especially.
Some symptoms of lactose intolerance are stomach cramps, bloating, excessive gas and diarrhea. What’s confusing to many is that these symptoms are common to other types of conditions. Also, some people who are lactose intolerant may only need to eat smaller portions of dairy products to avoid these irritating symptoms. About one or two cups of milk each day is usually safe for most people in this category, particularly when eaten with other foods, as specified by the committee.
If you or a loved one think that you might be lactose intolerant, you may want to get your doctor to validate it with a blood, stool or breath test. If it turns out to be true, decrease your intake of dairy foods. Try to get the suggested amounts of vitamin D and calcium from other sources, like sardines, tofu, kale, salmon, fortified cereals and supplements.
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