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Lactose Intolerance: The Facts
Up to 15 per cent of Britons are estimated
to be lactose intolerant, but lack of knowledge
means the number could be much higher.
Lactose intoleranceis caused by
The diet is a simple approximation of
Tips for coping with lactose
a defi ciency of lactase, an enzyme
lactose intolerance whereby suspect
intolerance
present in the lining of the small intes-
foods are removed from the diet for
• Check all food labels - lactose is
tine needed to digest lactose, a di-
a period of two weeks. If symptoms
hidden in food such as chocolate
saccharide present in milk and other
disappear with a lactose-free diet
biscuits, cake mix, pizza bases and
dairy products. Undigested lactose
and appear again after re-introduc-
even crisps
moves through to the large intestine,
tion of lactose, then lactose intoler-
• Drink milk and eat dairy food with
where it is fermented by bacteria to
ance is likely. It is important to make
meals and snacks
cause abdominal symptoms, includ-
patients aware that they should not
• Try Lactofree on it’s own or in
ing:
permanently remove foods from their
cooking
• fl atulence
diet without guidance from a Regis-
• stomach cramps
tered Dietitian. The elimination diet
• nausea
sheet is available for download at
Lactofree comes in two varieties:
• bloating
www.lactofree.co.uk
• Lactofree Fresh – £1.35/litre
• diarrhoea.
• Lactofree Longlife – £1.28/litre.
Management
Symptoms usually begin 30 minutes
There is no cure for lactose intoler-
Sources of further information
to two hours after eating and are
ance but it can be managed by
• www.lactofree.co.uk
often mistaken for irritable bowel
avoiding lactose in the diet, taking
• Arla helpline: 0845 600 6688
syndrome. The condition can have a
lactase supplements, and using milk
signifi cant impact on an individual’s
alternatives. Many
quality of life, but many people re-
sufferers avoid alterna-
main undiagnosed and awareness is
tives because of the
low. Only 4 per cent of those ques-
taste, but one is now
tioned for a national YouGov survey
available that
understood the meaning of lactose
tastes just like cows’
intolerance.
milk.
Some people are born with lactose Lactofree is semi-
intolerance, while others develop the skimmed cows’ milk
condition. Only around a third of adults with the lactose re-
retain the ability to digest lactose into moved and is the only
adulthood. The prevalence of lactose lactose-free dairy drink
intolerance varies between ethnic on the market. A fi ltra-
groups, as does the age of onset. tion process and the
In people of black and Asian origin, addition of the lactase
hypolactasia usually manifests itself in enzyme ensures more
early childhood, whereas in the white than 99.95 per cent of
population it seems to occur later in the lactose is removed
childhood or in adolescence. but the taste and nutri-
tional content remain.
Diagnosis
Lactofree can be
There are no defi nitive criteria for
used in cooking and
diagnosis and these symptoms are
given to children in the
not limited to lactose intolerance,
same way as cows’
meaning the condition can often
milk, allowing people
be misdiagnosed as a dairy allergy
living with lactose
or irritable bowel syndrome. Lacto-
intolerance to enjoy
free has developed an elimination
the taste of real dairy
diet you can recommend to adult
again.
patients you suspect may be lactose
intolerant.
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