Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: dairy intolerance + dairy + intolerance  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Lactose intolerance: is it part of your inheritance? The Canberra Times, Australia - Jul 27, 2008 Lactose intolerance is much less common in anyone of northern European descent, whose ancestors herded dairy cows for years, continued to drink milk and ... A2 Milk: the Solution to Lactose Intolerance, Allergies and Other ... Natural News.com, AZ - Aug 1, 2008 (NaturalNews) People with assumed lactose intolerance are able to tolerate A2 milk with research suggesting that intolerance is due to the type of milk ... Delving into the growing industry of food intolerance Courier Mail, Australia - Aug 4, 2008 Food intolerances usually are caused by sensitivity to chemical agents, such as sulphites, or stem from enzyme deficiencies, such as lactose intolerance. ... Dealing with lactose intolerance Fort Leavenworth Lamp, KS - Jul 17, 2008 Well, if you avoid milk or other dairy foods because they don't agree with your digestive system, you might be lactose intolerant. ... NORTH TONAWANDA: Exchange students prepare to say ?Adios? Tonawanda News, NY - Aside from a bout Raul had with lactose intolerance from all the ice cream at events like Canal Fest ? which Alvarez said he loved mainly for the empanadas ... Ahhh...Chocolate Is Now a Delicious Reality for People with Food ... MarketWatch - Jul 30, 2008 ... 50 million are lactose intolerant. Safety concerns around cross-contamination or the use of dairy-based ingredients cause people with these conditions ... Khaleej Times Mothers try tricks to make kids drink milk Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates - Jul 25, 2008 What Claire is describing is a common condition known as lactose intolerance. It is basically an inability to digest the lactose enzyme present in milk. ... Examiner.com Courtesy of http://decideforyourself.com Examiner.com - Jul 25, 2008 For years many people have suffered from lactose intolerance and the numbers are on the rise. According to Andrew Ritter, owner of Lactagen (a product which ... Poyogao: Breastfeeding Week Sun.Star, Philippines - It is easily digested and babies are unlikely to be constipated and to be lactose-intolerant. Breast milk is available anytime of the day. ... Jewish Exponent Guard Against Gastro Issues Jewish Exponent, PA - Jul 24, 2008 Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest and absorb lactose (the sugar in milk) that results in very uncomfortable digestive symptoms. ...

Help! My son has a dairy intolerance

 I assume that the sugar in milk your son is intolerant to is lactose. It is quite common for young children, especially infants and toddlers, to develop a temporary lactose intolerance after a severe bout of gastro-enteritis. The lining of their gut wall becomes inflamed and fails to make lactase, the enzyme needed to break down the sugars in milk, leading to diarrhoea and sometimes tummy ache. The bowel wall heals on its own over one to three months and the lactose intolerance then disappears.

Non-Caucasian children, for example Chinese races, are more prone to lactose intolerance as they have a genetic tendency to make less lactase enzyme presumed to be as a result of having less milk in their diets. This usually only poses a problem if they move away from their traditional population's diet to one based more on dairy products.

You do not say how your son's lactose intolerance was diagnosed or what led him to be tested. It is an unusual problem in a boy of six years old and Caucasian race. If he had been diagnosed by a paediatrician he would almost certainly have been referred to a dietician for advice.

As you are asking me for advice I hazard a guess that he has been diagnosed as lactose intolerant by a different source. I also suspect that it may be being suggested as a treatment for health problems other than diarrhoea after gastro-enteritis which is unusual at this age. If you are going to pursue a lactose free diet for your son it can involve a lot of effort and some expense to ensure he has no dairy products. I would suggest you try it for up to three months but only persist beyond this time if your son's symptoms show a marked improvement as there is little evidence that such diets help with other health conditions.

A lactose free diet means one with no dairy products at all. He can have soya milk and soya milk products (eg yoghurts and cheese) most of which are on sale in supermarkets. You need to buy a calcium enriched soya milk such as Provamel which contains at least 120 mg of calcium per 100 mls to ensure he gets enough calcium for his growing bones.

At his age he will need 275 to 450 mg of calcium a day which he can get partly or totally from his milk. Calcium and vitamins are also present in cereals including breakfast cereals, fruit, greens, eggs, bread, potatoes and meat (and tap water in hard water areas contains calcium) so as long as he is having a healthy mixed diet he should not require any supplements. If you are concerned that his diet may be deficient talk to your GP who can prescribe a supplement or refer your son to the local dietician for advice.