Certain supplements can help
| Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest significant amounts of lactose, the natural sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Close to 50 million American adults are lactose intolerant, with certain ethnic and racial populations more widely affected than others.
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There are certain supplements a person with lactose intolerance can take to ease or prevent the symptoms of this discomfort. Lactase enzyme tablets contain the enzyme that breaks down lactose, reducing the amount your body must digest on its own. You can take tablets just before a meal or snack. Improvement of symptoms may vary from one person to another, but tablets do help many people. Calcium supplements are helpful for many people, especially if you are unable to eat dairy products. Probiotics are living organisms present in the intestines that help maintain a healthy digestive system. Probiotics are also available as active cultures in some yogurts and as supplements in capsule form. These are sometimes used for gastrointestinal conditions such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. They may also help your body digest lactose. Probiotics are generally considered safe if used properly and may be worth a try if other methods don’t help.
These programs were first broadcast the week of June 11, 2012.
T. Glenn Pait, M.D., of UAMS is the host of the program.