We are constantly taught to have milk everyday for healthy bones and a good health. Milk and dairy products like cottage cheese(paneer), ghee(clarified butter), butter, processed cheese and yogurt have a good amount of Calcium and Vitamins (D & E-especially in dairy fats). Milk, be it cow’s or buffaloe’s is often the main meal of toddlers. While most of the toddlers, and adults are able to digest milk with no problems at all, there is a minor population that is intolerant to milk and it’s products. Asian countries though do not seem to find many cases on lactose intolerance, research has seen a good amount of cases in the western part of the world. Sometimes, we might be unknown to certain facts about milk allergies. It might not register in our minds to analyse that milk can also cause an allergic reaction.
So, what is lactose intolerance?
Digestive disturbances after consuming milk or milk products is commonly seen in lactose intolerance. Symptoms like diarhhea, vomiting with or without nausea, constipation, bloating of the stomach, swelling on the limbs, face and itching on the skin can also be seen at times in rare cases. Although, the most common symptom is diarhhea, other clinical diagnosis and tests will also confirm the allergy/intolerance.
Excluding milk and dairy products in the daily diet is the first step towards the issue. But, will that hamper the daily nutritional intake of calcium and vitamin-D?
There are a lot of other foods that can provide you with Calcium and Vit-D. Milk and dairy products are the major sources for building your bones but when your digestive system is not ready to take it in, you just adopt a different way of building your bones. Is it a difficult task? If you ask me, I would say, it is not a difficult task at all and you don’t have to worry.
Why am I prone to lactose intolerance ?
A. It can be a deficiency of lactase in your digestive system which helps to break down lactose from dairy products. It can also be due to any other reason like infection in the small intestine, a particular medication that is not helping the breakdown process. It might happen immediately after a surgery. We can also see this in toddlers for a temporary phase which fades with time.
Is there a permanant cure?
A. If the allergy is due to a genetic disorder, there are slight chances that you will be cured for a lifetime because that’s how your genetics designed your metabolism. If the allergy is a consequence of some other ailment or medication, the discomfort is for a short span.
How do I get Calcium from my diet if I have milk allergy?
A. Foods like sesame, ragi (finger millet), eggs, nuts, fish(sardines,salmon), broccoli, cucumbers, tofu, calcium fortified almond milk, fortified soy milk, fortified orange juice are all varius sources of calcium. Vitamin D supplementation can be taken as part of the diet (if necessary). Getting a good amount of sun is important and topical application of oils might also enhance the absorption of Vit-D.
How safe are calcium supplements?
A. Calcium supplements (RDI 800-1000mg/day) are safe if taken with precaution and not exceeding the suggested limit. Adoloscents, senior citizens, pregnant and lactating women require a little extra dose (RDI 1200mg/day). People who are lactose intolerant and are also not able to digest dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese can definitely take the supplements apart from the calcium rich diet from other sources. Others who can tolerate yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese can modify their daily diet (without any supplementation) for nutrtion enhancement along with other calcium rich food sources(vegetables, eggs, nuts , fortified milk). Always customize your nutritional needs depending on your state of health/ailments.
Is exercise important for calcium absorption?
A. Exercise is a must to reduce the auto immune diseases like Osteoporosis, arthritis etc. Apart from diet, exercise plays a major part in building your bones.
Always consult your physician/nutritionist for a better diagnosis and health improvements.
Author, Manisha K Nutritionist & Mental health coach Founder- NUtreboot (food and fitness)
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