What is the chief reason that many people with lactose intolerance can consume foods containing some lactose without suffering any symptoms?

Answer 1

It depends on the level of lactose intolerance in the individual and it also depends on the dairy food that is consumed.

The level of lactose intolerance depends on how much lactase enzyme exists in the person's digestive system to digest the lactose. The more lactase, the easier it is to digest the lactose, the less lactase, the harder to digest the lactose and the food moves through the intestines without being digested properly and this is primarily what causes the symptoms in lactose intolerance.

Some dairy foods have lower levels of lactose:

* Most low fat yoghurts * Parmesan cheese * Low fat mozzarella But even when eating these foods, if too much is eaten at once or on an empty stomach, it can increase risk of getting symptoms.

Other (especially high fat) dairy foods will cause the lactose symptoms (bloating, gas, abdominal pain, nausea) within a short time of eating the foods.

Some research suggests that eating a little bit of the well-tolerated dairy foods, together with other foods may help with their digestion and may increase levels of the lactase enzyme as the body becomes more used to digesting the lactose.

But other research suggests that we all become more lactose intolerant as we age anyway.

Some cultures are more prone to be lactose intolerant than others anyway.