Have you ever found yourself feeling bloated after consuming a delicious hot fudge sundae? Do you ever feel pain or cramping in your lower abdomen after eating a grilled cheese sandwich? How many of you fear drinking a glass of milk in the morning because you may pay for it later in the day? You are not alone. Did you know that these issues affect more than 60% of the world? Some people are affected more than others, but the answer is almost always the same. You may be suffering from lactose intolerance.

If you notice bloating, abdomen pain, cramping, gurgling, gas, or diarrhea every once in a while after consuming dairy products, you most likely are not a victim of lactose intolerance. These are common symptoms, but if they occur every time after consumption of a dairy product, you most likely have lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is much more common among adults. You can go most of your life without dairy products affecting you negatively, then suddenly you wake up and your body can no longer handle dairy. What a pain! Does this mean you have to eliminate dairy from your diet for the rest of your life?

Not necessarily. There are some ways to manage lactose intolerance. For people with a mild case of lactose intolerance just limiting the dairy in their diet will usually be enough to get rid of those nasty symptoms. For people with a higher degree of lactose intolerance, it may be a bit more difficult but not impossible. First, give lactase pills a try. They come in both chewable and capsule form. The reason for lactose intolerance is because of the body’s inability to produce enough lactase to break down the lactose from dairy. With a lactase supplement, your body should have enough lactase to do the job. Next, try consuming dairy products when you are eating other foods. This slows down the digestive process and may lessen the symptoms of lactose intolerance. You should also consider trying different forms of dairy. Just because your body is affected by one type of dairy product doesn’t necessarily mean it’s affected by another. Last, studies are also indicating that cocoa powder and sugar may help the body digest lactose by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties. This means that chocolate milk may be a good choice. If you’re suffering from lactose intolerance, don’t let it get the best of you. Give some of these tips a try and fight back against this non-threatening yet uncomfortable condition.

-Tom