Genes and lactose intolerance

Did you know that genes may also determine who can readily digest milk and who cannot? About 70 percent of the world’s population simply cannot drink milk or eat dairy products (except yogurt) without getting an upset stomach.

Lactose intolerance is genetic and occurs most often in people of Asian, African and Mediterranean descent. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of Filipinos are lactose-intolerant, a condition caused by a deficiency in lactase, an enzyme needed to absorb and digest the milk sugar, lactose.

Undigested, the milk sugar lingers in the colon and ferments, creating intestinal distress – abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea – that sometimes defies diagnosis.

Lactose intolerance is not a disease. Rather, it is a condition stemming from a number of factors. It can be congenital (one is born lactose-intolerant) or acquired (one becomes lactose-intolerant later in life).

Congenital lactose intolerance is extremely rare. Acquired lactose intolerance takes two forms: secondary and primary. Secondary acquired lactose intolerance can be the result of a disease or certain drug treatments.

Primary acquired lactose intolerance, on the other hand, is genetic and is by far the most common type of lactose intolerance. While most infants can digest large amounts of lactose, about three-fourths of the world population loses much of the ability to digest lactose between the ages of two and five. This is a normal development process in all mammals.

Fortunately, lactose intolerance is relatively easy to manage. No treatment exists to improve the body’s ability to produce lactase, but symptoms can be controlled through diet.

The simplest way to prevent symptoms of lactose intolerance is to avoid foods that contain lactose altogether – young children with lactase deficiency should not eat any foods containing lactose. For children up to two years old, Mead Johnson offers lactose-free milk formulas that contain all the other nutrients of regular milk.

These formulations contain glucose polymers for easier digestion, and all the vitamins and minerals of regular formulas plus DHA, an important brain-building ingredient. Mead Johnson’s lactose-free line is the only complete line of formulas that help support brain development the tummy-friendly way.

For the lactose-intolerant child, it is the best solution for receiving all the necessary minerals and vitamins without the distressing symptoms that accompany drinking dairy milk.