Dr Oz: Lactose Intolerance Test: Are You Lactose Intolerant?

Dr Oz Lactose Intolerance

Dr Oz did a segment on Lactose Intolerance, because one of the most common foods that you keep in your fridge could be making you sick.  Are you Lactose Intolerant?  Doctor Oz gave a Lactose Intolerance Test to help you figure out if you are one of the 50 Million people who do not digest lactose and dairy products properly.

Dr Oz: Lactose Intolerance Symptoms

First, Dr Oz gave a list of Lactose Intolerance Symptoms which include the following signs:

– bloating

– gas

– diarrhea

– camps

– nausea

Up to 75% of people have problems with Lactose Intolerance.  But what is it exactly? And more importantly, what can you do about it if you are Lactose Intolerant?

Dr Oz did a demonstration to show the difference between Lactose Tolerant and Lactose Intolerant.  Lactase is the enzyme that digests milk.  So when you drink milk, the lactase is supposed to digest the milk so that it can get absorbed by your intestines and the nutrients can go into your system.  However, if you are Lactose Intolerant, then your intestines cannot digest the lactose because you are missing Lactase.  So the lactose does not dissolve and your body is unable to absorb anything.  Instead, it goes to your large intestine where you get gas, bloating and / or diarrhea.

Dr Oz: Lactose Intolerance Challenge

Doctor Oz said that you can do a simple test to get a good feeling of whether or not you are Lactose Intolerant.  After dinner tonight, do not eat anything until you wakeup in the morning.  Then drink only an 8 ounce glass of milk in the morning with nothing else.  Do not eat or drink anything for 3-4 hours after drinking the milk.  If you notice that you get any of the Lactose Intolerance Symptoms, then there is a good chance you might be Lactose Intolerant.

Dr Oz: Lactose Intolerant Remedies

Dr Oz said that if you are Lactose Intolerant, you have to replace the dairy found in your diet.  Here are some tips to keep in mind.

– Replace regular milk with Soy Milk, Hemp Milk or Lactose-Free Milk.  Dr Oz recently did a couple different segments on milk alternatives, so if you missed those shows, definitely read these recaps: Dr Oz: Hemp Milk, Coconut Milk & Almond and Dr Oz: Goat Milk.

– Try taking Lactase Drops before eating dairy products.

– Look for hidden sources of Lactose, such as whey which is found in quite a few cereals.

– Know dairy differences, like the fact that soft cheese tends to have more Lactose than hard cheese.  So you might be able to eat hard cheese without getting sick, but soft cheese could cause problems.