Lactose intolerance later in life: Can you become lactose intolerant later in life?

04.09.202324.06.2023 by alexxlab

Can You Develop Lactose Intolerance?

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Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R. D., Nutrition — By Scott Frothingham on January 9, 2019

If you have lactose intolerance, it means you’re unable to fully digest the lactose in milk. For people with lactose intolerance, drinking milk or eating dairy products can result in:

abdominal cramps
nausea
gas
bloating
diarrhea

Lactose intolerance — also referred to as lactose malabsorption — is usually caused by having too little of an enzyme produced in your small intestine called lactase.

Lactose intolerance can be developed at any age. There are four main types:

primary
congenital
developmental
secondary

Primary and congenital lactose intolerance are both inherited.

Primary lactose intolerance is the most common. Your lactase production starts to decrease as you age and you become less dependent on dairy, usually after the age of 2.

You may not notice symptoms, however, until you’re an adult. It may seem like lactose intolerance has developed, but primary lactose intolerance is hereditary.

Congenital lactose intolerance is a rare condition found in newborn babies. It’s inherited instead of developed. Both parents need the gene mutation to pass it on.

Developmental lactose intolerance is typically temporary. It’s found in some babies born prematurely before their small intestine was fully developed.

Secondary lactose intolerance isn’t hereditary, but is developed when you have a problem in your small intestine. It can occur at any age.

Secondary lactose intolerance is caused by a problem in your small intestine. If this problem creates a shortage of lactase, then you may develop lactose intolerance.

Possible causes of secondary lactose intolerance include:

ulcerative colitis
gastroenteritis
Crohn’s disease
celiac disease
antibiotics
chemotherapy

As you get older, your body naturally produces less lactase. This can cause you to develop secondary lactase intolerance without a triggering condition.

You can develop lactose intolerance at any age. It could be triggered by a condition, such as Crohn’s disease or gastroenteritis. This can result in your small intestine producing an inadequate supply of lactase.

Also, as you age, your body naturally starts to product less lactase and that could result in the development of lactose intolerance.

Last medically reviewed on January 9, 2019

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Lactose intolerance. (2016).
nhs.uk/conditions/lactose-intolerance/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Lactose intolerance.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lactose-intolerance/symptoms-causes/syc-20374232
Torborg L. (2016). Mayo Clinic Q & A: Lactose intolerance can develop at any age.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-lactose-intolerance-can-develop-at-any-age/

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Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.D., Nutrition — By Scott Frothingham on January 9, 2019

Can lactose intolerance develop later in life?

Introduction

Lactose intolerance — also referred to as lactose malabsorption — is a condition that affects many individuals worldwide. It happens when lactose, a sugar present in dairy products, cannot be broken down by the body. As a result, it passes through the digestive tract undigested rather than being broken down and absorbed.

While the majority of people believe that lactose intolerance is a lifetime illness, it’s crucial to realize that it might appear later in life, even if you’ve never had any symptoms before.

The causes of lactose intolerance in adults, its symptoms, diagnosis, and potential treatment options will all be covered in this blog post. So, let’s explore this subject to learn more about lactose intolerance.

Development of lactose intolerance in adulthood

This disorder is commonly associated with genetic factors. It follows an inheritance pattern, being passed down from one generation to the next. While some people have a hereditary tendency to lactose intolerance from birth, others may age and produce less lactase.

The ability to generate lactase, an enzyme necessary for the small intestine’s role in the breakdown of lactose, is typically diminished in those who develop the illness later in life. This indicates that there is insufficient enzyme present to metabolize the lactose they consume.

People who develop the condition later in life usually have a reduced ability to produce lactase, an enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose in the small intestine. This means there is not enough of the enzyme to break down the lactose they consume.

It is a natural process for lactase production to decrease over time. After childhood, it’s believed that 65% of people worldwide have a decreased capacity for digesting lactose. Various ethnic groupings have a varying percentage. For instance, compared to those of Northern European heritage, people of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent are more prone to develop lactose intolerance later in life.

Symptoms and diagnosis of lactose intolerance

While lactose malabsorption is usually harmless its symptoms can be uncomfortable that can range from mild to severe and typically occur after consuming lactose-containing foods or beverages. Most symptoms usually begin from 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking foods that contain lactose.

Common symptoms include:

· Bloating

· Diarrhea

· Nausea

· Abdominal pain

· Gas

These symptoms occur due to the undigested lactose reaching the large intestine, where it ferments and causes discomfort.

How to manage lactose intolerance

While lactose intolerance cannot be cured, there are a number of treatment techniques that can help people cope with the disease peacefully.

For most people, including those with late-in-life lactose intolerance, limiting or avoiding meals and beverages that contain lactose is one of the most popular strategies. Dairy items including milk, cheese, curd, and ice cream may fall under this category. Fortunately, the market is flooded with lactose-free substitutes, including lactose-free milk, soy milk, almond milk, and lactose-free cheese.

Different people react differently to lactose. While some people might be able to consume modest amounts of lactose without developing symptoms, others might need to completely cut out lactose from their diets. In order to determine each person’s tolerance levels, experimentation and keeping a food diary can be useful.

Purchasing over-the-counter lactase supplements is an additional choice. These supplements give the body the lactase enzyme it requires to break down lactose. It is best to take these vitamin supplements right before eating or drinking anything with lactose. Having said that, it is important to talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

Closing thoughts

In conclusion, even if you have never had symptoms previously, lactose intolerance can appear later in life. As we become older, our ability to produce lactase decreases, which can make it difficult to digest lactose and cause painful symptoms.

However, people with lactose intolerance can live a normal and satisfying life if they use the right management techniques, such as avoiding meals that contain lactose or taking lactase supplements.

If you suspect that you may have developed lactose intolerance, it is crucial to speak with a healthcare provider. A lactose intolerance test, such as a lactose tolerance test or a hydrogen breath test, may be performed by the healthcare professional. These tests measure the rate at which your body breaks down lactose and can reveal whether you are lactose intolerant or not.

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Explained how lactose intolerance affects women

02. 02.2022 at 03:38

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Lactose is a sugar naturally found in milk and dairy products. Lactose intolerance occurs due to lactose malabsorption. This is a condition in which the small intestine cannot digest or break down all the lactose a person eats or drinks.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), most people with lactose intolerance can consume some lactose without any symptoms. This will depend on each case and their level of intolerance.

If a person is lactose intolerant, he will experience severe discomfort. The most common pains associated with the digestive system are bloating, diarrhea, and gas after eating foods or drinks that contain lactose.

Products containing lactose

Lactose is present in milk and all dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and ice cream. It is also present in many finished products. This long list includes: deli meats, crackers, salad dressings, cereals, breads and other baked goods.

Lactose intolerance should not be confused with milk allergy. The latter is caused by a problem with the immune system. Symptoms can range from mild (rash or itching) to severe (shortness of breath or wheezing). This is more common in children than in adults.

Calcium and vitamin D deficiency

Lactose intolerance can prevent you from getting enough calcium and vitamin D, which are important for bone health. It promotes bone health and reduces the risk of fractures. It also affects blood clotting, the functioning of the nervous system and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, explains the Spanish Society of Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences (SEDCA).

As for vitamin D, it is important for the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus, so a deficiency can also reduce the levels of these minerals, which are essential for bone health, among other things. An association has also been found between adequate vitamin D levels and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

How does lactose intolerance affect women?

Women especially need to get enough calcium and vitamin D throughout their lives so that they can build and maintain bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

According to the Office of Women’s Health (OASH), osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and break more easily. And women have a higher risk of osteoporosis than men.

Specifically, according to OASH, women are more likely to have osteoporosis for the following reasons:

– Women tend to have smaller, thinner, and less dense bones than men.

– Women tend to live longer and bone loss occurs naturally with age.

– In addition, women lose more bone mass after menopause due to very low levels of the hormone estrogen.

Authors:

Alexandra Ippolitova

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Lactase deficiency in infants: is it dangerous?

What it is?

Lactose (milk sugar) is a carbohydrate that provides about 40 percent of an infant’s energy needs.

Lactase is a special enzyme that helps the body digest lactose by breaking it down into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. Lactase appears in the human digestive tract about eight weeks before birth and is most active during infancy. When other foods appear in the child’s diet and the need for such large amounts of lactase disappears, the activity of the enzyme begins to gradually decrease.

Milk sugar intolerance is associated with a lack of lactase in the body, due to which it is not broken down into its constituent parts and decomposed in the large intestine. Hence – pain and rumbling in the abdomen, flatulence, diarrhea and other symptoms of hypolactasia.

Types of lactase deficiency

Transient lactase deficiency	Temporary lactase deficiency in infants, especially those born prematurely. Lactase intolerance is associated with the physiological immaturity of enzyme systems.
Alactasia neonatal	Rare hereditary disease, primary lactase deficiency. It is observed from birth, it is difficult, lactase activity is completely absent. Requires a mandatory lactose-free diet.
Hypolactasia	Late-onset congenital lactase deficiency. Physiological gradual decrease in the amount of lactase after infancy, starting at 5 years of age. “Constitutional” lactase deficiency occurs in about 70 percent of humanity. In most cases, the body can still absorb some lactose during the day.
Secondary lactase deficiency	Transient lactose intolerance, most commonly following acute intestinal infections or inflammatory bowel disease. Usually the ability to digest milk returns to the patient a few weeks after recovery.

Symptoms of lactase deficiency

When it comes to babies, the list of symptoms of this disease is extremely wide: watery, frothy, sour-smelling diarrhea, borborygmas, colic, bloating, regurgitation, abdominal pain, vomiting, crying, weight loss, and malnutrition. However, due to the specificity of the formation of the intestinal microflora, diagnosing lactase deficiency can be difficult.

The sterility of the intestines of newborns in a short time is replaced by colonization of microorganisms, which sometimes leads to flatulence, green frothy stools and other typical symptoms of lactase deficiency, even in healthy babies. The formation of the enzymatic system coincides in time with the period of colic in infants, which finally confuses the situation.

Evidence-based physicians consider most of the listed indicators to be irrelevant, recommending that attention be paid to the following problems: dehydration, decreased appetite, impaired physical development due to weight deficiency, bacterial overgrowth syndrome in the small intestine, hypovitaminosis, anemia, headaches and other serious symptoms.

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Methods for determining lactase deficiency

The diagnosis of “lactase deficiency” should be made by a physician based on the overall clinical picture and additional examination methods:

1. The Benedict method, which determines the total amount of carbohydrates in a child’s stool, is suitable for screening for lactase deficiency, as well as monitoring the correct selection of a diet. Unfortunately, it is also the most unreliable diagnostic method, since the norms of carbohydrates in feces have not yet been determined.

2. The lactose stress test measures blood sugar levels before and after oral lactose intake. Normally, within 60 minutes after taking lactose, blood glucose levels should rise by at least 20 percent of the original.

The results of the test will depend on the breakdown and absorption of lactose in the small intestine, glucose tolerance, so lactose loading may provoke or exacerbate the clinical symptoms of lactase deficiency.

3. Hydrogen test.

It is used as an indirect method for diagnosing lactase deficiency. The essence of the test is the analysis of exhaled air. If the hydrogen content in it increases, this indicates that under the influence of the microflora of the large intestine, lactose fermentation is taking place, and the patient has lactose intolerance. The false-positive rate of the lactose breath test is as high as 20 percent.

4. Determination of the level of acidity (pH) of feces (normally 5.5 and above), which decreases with lactase deficiency

5. Genetic testing is used to confirm primary lactase deficiency.

6. The most accurate diagnostic method is a biopsy of the small intestine. In this case, by taking several samples, it is possible to determine the degree of lactase activity by the condition of the intestinal surface. The method is used very rarely due to its complexity and high cost; however, it allows one to reliably identify the defective enzyme and determine the degree of its deficiency.

Treatment regimen

Before treating lactase deficiency, it is necessary to make sure that the diagnosis is correct. Some symptoms of this disease are common in newborns, but not every baby with colic suffers from a lack of lactase – even if the Benedict test showed a large amount of carbohydrates.

After the start of treatment, it will become clear whether the patient is really lacking lactase. If, after receiving the enzyme, the child’s well-being improved significantly, then the diagnosis was made correctly.

The next step is to determine the causes of lactase deficiency. A genetic study will make it possible to accurately diagnose alactasia in newborns – and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Only after excluding the genetic mechanism of the onset of the disease, the doctor should proceed to the diagnosis of secondary lactase deficiency. In this case, adding the enzyme lactase to the diet or reducing the amount of lactose in the diet are temporary measures to restore the lining of the small intestine, but the main treatment will be associated with an intestinal infection or other problems.

Accurate diagnosis of the cause of lactase deficiency is essential for a successful recovery. If we are talking about transient (secondary) lactase deficiency in infants, most often doctors prescribe lactase maintenance drugs at the time of the formation of the enzyme system, in order to try to refuse them after a few months.

Lactose intolerance later in life: Can you become lactose intolerant later in life?

Can You Develop Lactose Intolerance?

How we reviewed this article:

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