Lactose Intolerance: Symptoms and What to Do

Lactose intolerance is a condition that affects 50% of Italians. In this article we will delve into every detail about it.

Have you ever heard of a silent enemy that hides in the folds of your daily diet?

A mysterious antagonist that can cause insidious and often ignored health problems?

Get ready to find out everything there is to know about this condition.

Lactose: What is it?

To begin, let's understand what lactose is exactly: it is a natural sugar found in milk and its derivatives.

Its digestibility depends on the presence of an enzyme called lactase , which breaks lactose into simpler sugars to make it easily absorbable by the body.

However, for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, this enzyme is limited or even absent, making it difficult to digest lactose. So, what are the possible symptoms that can be encountered?

Symptoms not to be underestimated

Lactose intolerance is a disorder that involves the digestive system and the immune system . Here are a series of unpleasant symptoms that can occur in people who have this intolerance:

• Abdominal pain: These pains often manifest as abdominal cramps and can be painful and uncomfortable;
• Bloating: Bloating is common among people who are lactose intolerant and can cause a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen;
• Gas: Gas build-up in the intestines can cause flatulence and a feeling of abdominal distension;
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea is one of the most common symptoms of lactose intolerance and can be watery and frequent;
• Nausea: Some people may experience nausea after consuming foods or drinks containing lactose;
• Abdominal noises: Undigested lactose in the intestines can cause abdominal noises and gurgling;
• Constipation: In some cases, lactose intolerance can cause constipation instead of diarrhea.

The underlying process: what is it?

When a lactose intolerant person consumes this sugar, their immune system mistakenly recognizes it as a harmful foreign body . As a result, it triggers an inflammatory response to fight what it perceives as a threat.

This inflammatory response is at the heart of lactose intolerance symptoms. The immune system releases inflammatory chemicals that can cause physical and, in some cases, mental symptoms.

Are there any solutions to lactose intolerance?

Fortunately, lactose intolerance is not a sentence to a life without culinary pleasures because there are solutions. The key to managing this condition is a lactose-free diet , which involves the strict elimination of all products containing this sugar.

Many delicious and nutritious foods are naturally casein-free. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, legumes, nuts, and seeds are just a few of the options available. However, before jumping to conclusions, it is a good idea to confirm this intolerance with a DNA test .

Holifya offers you a secret gateway to explore your DNA . With a simple saliva sample, you can discover surprising details about your personal genetics, but let's see together how to perform the test correctly to discover such intolerance.

How to perform DNA test with Holifya?

At home, you will receive a kit containing a Swab, or swab , with which to perform a very simple self-sampling of saliva and an instruction booklet to guide you through the DNA test procedure.

Additionally, the kit contains three sample code stickers which will be your unique code and will allow you to anonymize your sample during the logistics phase and two envelopes , one reinforced and one plastic to re-package your sample before our collection.

For 1 hour before the test , make sure you do not eat, chew gum, smoke, brush your teeth, or drink anything other than water. Also, wash your hands thoroughly before opening the test tube and wear disposable gloves.

Open the bag, then hold the plastic tube with one hand and using your thumb, push the top of the cap to make it easier to open. The test is immediate and, in less than 48 hours , you will be able to find out if you are truly lactose intolerant.

Conclusions

In the course of this article through the world of lactose intolerance and DNA testing, we have shed light on a crucial aspect of your health and well-being. Now, in this conclusion, we want to plant a seed in your mind, a seed of awareness and potential.

Every decision you make about your diet, every step you take toward wellness can be guided by your personal knowledge, your unique genetics.

The DNA test for lactose intolerance is the key to unlocking your hidden potential and living a completely different life.