Lactose Intolerance: Get Your Gut in Order!
Feeling unwell after eating but not sure what the cause could be? Sometimes we feel bloated and uncomfortable after eating, and we put it down to maybe eating too quick, too much, or too much of the wrong thing. It’s a terrible feeling that can sometimes take hours to pass. Even if we change our eating patterns, slow down, eat healthier, it can still occur.
Could it be something more specific, relating to a certain food or food group? Could you have a food intolerance? Food allergies and intolerances affect many Filipinos, with wheat, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, and milk being the most common. Milk is also the top cause of all allergies and intolerances in children. Aside from milk, lactose intolerance can also be triggered by consuming other dairy products, such as cheese, butter, yoghurt and ice cream.
A negative reaction to dairy is known as a lactose intolerance, which is caused when the body has trouble, or fails to digest milk sugars, due to insufficient amounts of the gut enzyme, Lactase. Lactose is also found in some breads, cakes and biscuits, pancake mix, deli meats, instant foods, and margarine.
So, what exactly is Lactose? Lactose is a sugar or carbohydrate found in milk and other dairy products. Normally, the body breaks down lactose into its simpler components with the help of the gut enzyme lactase. If your body does not produce enough lactase, lactose is not digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, it continues to travel along the digestive tract to the large intestine, where bacteria partially break it down into acids and gases. This fermentation process causes excessive wind, bloating, discomfort and pain.
Did you know that even though you can develop lactose intolerance at any age, it is largely genetic, caused by an inherited genetic fault? EasyDNA Philippines understands that food intolerances are uncomfortable, make you feel unwell, and can be embarrassing, which is why the Lactose Intolerance DNA Test may be of benefit to those who suspect milk, dairy products, or other foods containing lactose might be the cause of their discomfort. A lactose intolerance test will establish whether you carry certain a gene mutation which makes you unable to produce the enzyme which helps digest lactose.
This test analyses the LCT gene. This gene encodes the instructions our body needs to make lactase. A mutation on this gene makes the individual unable to product enough lactase to break down any lactose ingested. The condition can span different severities which depend on the amounts of lactase produced by their bodies; the range is typically mild, moderate or severe reduction.
Once you order your test, you will receive a comprehensive home test kit, which includes everything needed to take the test via an oral mouth swab. Your results will arrive in a timely manner, and will reveal:
- Whether you carry a genotype which places you at low or high risk
- Dietary recommendations, changes in lifestyle and further counselling or advice
- Description of what exactly lactose intolerance is and its prevalence in different parts of the world
- A complete list of symptoms as well as other conditions that could also have these symptoms.
This test is perfect for those experiencing any of the symptoms of lactose intolerance and provides peace of mind as well as a way forward to achieving a happier and healthier gut.
