Do you shy away from drinking milk because you have lactose intolerance? The American Dietetics Association estimates that 30-50 million Americans are affected by lactose intolerance. It is the inability to or difficulty with the absorbtion of the natural sugar in milk called lactose due to a deficiency of a necessary enzyme called lactase. People that seem to be more susceptible are people:

• of Asian, African, native American or Hispanic background
• with a history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn's disease
• who have been taking antibiotics
• over the age of 65 (As we age our production of lactase sometimes declines)

You may have this condition if about 20 minutes after drinking milk you experience gas, bloating, or diarrhea.

Don't give up on your Laura Lynn milk or dairy products though!

1. Drink milk in small amounts and with other foods. This will slow the absorption of lactose.
2. Include other dairy products that are lower in lactose like:
   • Yogurt - Stonyfield Farm Organic or YoCrunch - both make great snacks
   • Cheese - like Borden cheddar
   • Buttermilk, Kefir (a fermented milk product) or lactose free/reduced milk

For more information on including milk and dairy in your meals, call or write me!

Sources: American Dietetics Association (www.eatright.org) and Teens Health (www.teenshealth.org) "Lactose Intolerance"

See Leah's Previous Articles

Ask Leah - Home | More Previous Articles