Turning Lactose Intolerant?

SweatinSammie

Ruh Roh - I haven't been eating much dairy lately (I'd say I'm 95% vegan) but ate ice cream on sunday and got quite sick to my stomach (cramps, gas, etc) and I just ate some goat cheese for lunch and am feeling SO sick. Could I be turning lactose intolerant at the age of 23?!

tasmin21

The older I get, the more dairy bothers my stomach. (and it's sad, 'cause I LOVE cheese) I find myself switching more and more to almond milk when I can.

SweatinSammie

Glad to know I'm not alone but OH NO!

meechi53

yes you can, my husband became lactose intolerant when he was in his early 20's. Digestive Advantage pills and Lactaid products have become his best friends!

tehzephyrsong

The ability to digest lactose as an adult is a mutation (more accurately, the body's ability to continue to generate lactase, the enzyme that allows you to digest lactose, into adulthood is the result of a number of mutations). Adult lactose intolerance is pretty common. Time to go dairy-free!

lyttlewon

It is possible. Ice cream is one of the worst things to eat if you are intolerant to dairy.

rose313

It is definitely possible. I see a little bit of that in myself.

mcarter99

The ability to digest lactose as an adult is a mutation (more accurately, the body's ability to continue to generate lactase, the enzyme that allows you to digest lactose, into adulthood is the result of a number of mutations). Adult lactose intolerance is pretty common. Time to go dairy-free!

Yes. In many cultures, >90% of adults are lactose intolerant. Northern Europeans and other caucasion groups are a bit of an aberration, with lactose intolerance in adults being generally under 25%.

So being a lactose intolerant adult human is more normal than not. Historically we had (human) milk up to a certain age and then lived off food.

SweatinSammie

What a relief to know I'm not alone! I've got no problem giving up most dairy but ooooh what about ice cream :0(

My family has always given me a hard time for having a strict vegetarian/vegan-ish diet... at least now I can say I am lactose intolerant!!!

GreenTea703

Yes. We buy lactose free milk. And vegan diet doesnt have the good fat to feed your brain, or protein for energy. If you feel sluggish or depressed please dont go vegan. My wife and I lost 75 and 100 respectively on a keto diet. And now the doctors are finally starting to teach keto diets. This low calorie special K and vegan diets are bull****. There I said it.

shaynak112

I'm 21, I'm vegetarian (since September). I ate two string cheese things the other day and felt sooo sick. But then I ate ice cream recently and didn't feel sick. I don't drink milk or eat cheese or anything regularly, just on occasion (I'm not completely vegan but I do avoid dairy products). I don't want to give up ice cream though lol

RedBullLiz

I don't know if you can turn lactose intolerant.
Just a couple years ago, I realized I was lactose intolerant too.
Gave it more thought into why I didn't noticed it before.
But I remembered having horrible cramps, and unpleasant bathroom visits, sorry, hehe.
So it really goes back to an earlier state in your life.
I even asked my mom about it, she said she quit giving me milk I still needed at a really young age.
Hence, being lacose intolerant. Luckily, I can still have really small amounts of dairy every now and then.

MLR930

I became sort of lactose intolerant after I had gastric bypass surgery in 2003, I can handle cheese and yogurt but if I drink milk and eat some ice creams (I can have the low sugar kinds but in small amounts) I have horrible stomach pains and end up in the bathroom for a while.

jfrog123

I became sort of lactose intolerant after I had gastric bypass surgery in 2003, I can handle cheese and yogurt but if I drink milk and eat some ice creams (I can have the low sugar kinds but in small amounts) I have horrible stomach pains and end up in the bathroom for a while.

I have this exact same problem. Yogurt and cheese are fine, milk and most ice creams & ice milks (especially DQ) give me major issues. I had no problems as a kid or young adult, then I had wls in in 2002 and my problems began.

mcarter99

What a relief to know I'm not alone! I've got no problem giving up most dairy but ooooh what about ice cream :0(

My family has always given me a hard time for having a strict vegetarian/vegan-ish diet... at least now I can say I am lactose intolerant!!!

Most people tolerate yogurt and cheese ok. I've read the fermentation process removes much of the lactose. It's what those beneficial bacteria eat or something. Switch to frozen yogurt!

Sharonks

I have never had a problem with milk until recently. I'm 46 and as an adult have generally had a glass of milk every day or 3. Well, I did super low carb for several months due to my high blood sugar (got new meds so now can eat carbs again). Now I can't drink milk anymore. I can still eat cheese, yogurt and ice cream though. Something about heating and/or fermenting seems to help. I rarely eat ice cream and then in very small servings so maybe that's why I do ok with it.

BarefootBrendan

I can offer an alternative view. I would do some more research or get tested. Is it more likely the fat in the product that is the problem. While milk allergies do exist, they are a rare phenomenon especially among adults. A cow's milk allergy (to the proteins in milk) affects up to seven per cent of babies under one year, but 90 per cent will grow out of it. Researchers say most people who think they have such an allergy or are lactose intolerant are mistaken.

A recent study tested more than 100 people who had stomach pain, bloating and diarrhoea and believed they were lactose intolerant, to see if they really did have problems breaking down the sugar and absorbing it into their blood. They also asked them about their mental and physical health, including whether they were depressed or anxious or suffered from general aches and pains. This revealed their stomach troubles to have little to do digestion of lactose, but their mental state did seem to be to blame.

As I said, just another point of view that may or may not be relevant to your case.

h822

This online database is useful to find foods without lactose:
http://health-diet.us/lactose/

Some cheeses (such as parmesan and cheddar) have less lactose per ounce than other hard cheeses. While cream cheese and cottage cheese are high in lactose.

stuffinmuffin

Hi - it seems to be quite a topic on the forums today!!! As I mentioned in another thread, I'm lactose intolerant - I was actually genuinely allergic to cow's milk up until around the age of 8 which would see me come out in hives and have a severe gastric reaction. However (fortunately) I am now only intolerant which means just general gut discomfort and some other rather unattractive side effects if I eat too much dairy. I can handle a bit of discomfort for the odd morsel of cheese (but that's down to my love of cheese and I know I probably have to go into solitary confinement for a while after! ; )

Anyway - being lactose intolerant does not mean you have to wipe dairy out of your food plan, there are products that have greatly minimised the lactose in milk, butter, cheese (both hard and soft varieties) and also do yoghurts and now icecream. If you hunt around there are plenty of options. Companies such as Lactofree (the clue is in the name! ; ) Moo Free is a company that does a range of dairy free chocolates and treats. And a bit of dairy intolerance wont kill you if you want the odd bit of brie from time to time! xx

Leo_Joy_HG

Hi,
As mentioned before, lactose is broken down by the enzyme lactase. Lactase is naturally produced in the body for about the first year of your life. After that, it is producted depending on need - if you continue to consume lots of dairy, you will continue making it. But if you say you've been cutting down on dairy, your body has probably started to react to that and stopped producing so much.

Also, i do think there can be a psychological aspect, as with many illnesses. I'cve bet serveral people who have been lactose intolerent just during a very stressful period of their life.

Hope this helps and isn't repeating too much!

amy1612

You can develop lactose intolerance as you age and are more likely to as an adult then a child. I remember a friend who studied anthropology telling them this years ago. as alreayd mentioned, there are many places in the world (i.e. Asia) where lactose intolerance is very common!!