Could You Be Lactose Intolerant? Here Are 9 Obvious Signs

Lactose intolerance is more common than you think. In fact, two-thirds of the world's population experiences some form of intolerance towards dairy products.

Being lactose intolerant doesn't automatically mean your body will have a bad reaction to all forms of dairy. This is because everyone who has lactose intolerance suffers from it at different levels.

Basically, the sugar lactose is digested by an enzyme called lactase in our body. As babies, our bodies can produce the lactase we need to digest milk products. However, we lose this ability over time. Many adults will begin to produce lactase in very little amounts as they grow older and some may even stop all together. This means that you could develop lactose intolerance at any age. You might be fine for most of your life, but your body could stop producing the enzyme by the time you get much older.

The amount of lactase you have in your body will determine how tolerant you are to lactose. The less lactase you produce, the more lactose intolerant you become.

So foods with different amounts of lactose will get different reactions from you.

For example: If your body produces a little bit of lactase, you might be able to consume dairy products like yoghurt and cheese but might not be able to tolerate ice-cream or milkshakes. This is because yoghurt and cheese have a much lower level of lactose.

Asians, along with Africans and Native Americans, have a higher chance of developing lactose intolerance than any other ethnic group.

This might be a little surprising if you consider our obsession with milk teas.

But lactose intolerance has become so common than most people don't even realize they have it. Many of us consume dairy products on a daily basis and experience the side effects without questioning anything.

Milk and products made with milk are known for the amount of gas it makes your body produce. If you often feel 'puffed-up' after meals, even when you haven't eaten very much, it could be a sign that your body can't process dairy.

If you experience severe lactose intolerance, you will most definitely have pretty bad cramps after consuming dairy. These cramps will happen in your lower abdominal region, where your large intestine is.

Though lactose intolerance is known for the array of digestive issues it gives you, it also sometimes makes its way up to your head.

These migraines, caused by lactose intolerance, can last anywhere from a few hours to as long as a few days.

Find yourself running to the toilet a lot during the day?

It could be that you're having diarrhoea as a result of your body trying to process the lactose.

Your body is going to be producing a lot of gas if it can't properly digest lactose. Because dairy products aren't completely digested, lots of unexpected gases will be produced as your body processes the food.

Even a small amount of lactose in your food can create a lot of gas in your intestines.

Milk is very high in sulphur. So when your body breaks it down, it produces hydrogen sulphide. This is the gas that gives really stinky farts its stinkiness.

Because your body can't digest dairy properly, it could cause you to produce excess oil, leading to clogged pores in your skin and thus, acne.

Dairy also has a substance that makes dead skin cells stick together, causing even more clogged pores.

Nausea is a common symptom of lactose intolerance. Vomiting is also common in more severe cases or if a large amount of dairy is consumed.

This can also cause you to feel a loss in appetite.

Or rather, what you think are non-dairy products.

Many foods you would never suspect dairy to be in actually do contain some. These items include things like crackers, tomato sauce, potato chips and even certain processed meats.

If you strongly suspect that you could be lactose intolerant, you can always take steps to minimise your intake. Plenty of dairy substitutes are available in the market.

For example, use soy or coconut milk instead of cow's milk. Goat's milk contains less lactose too and might be more suitable for you. There are also various brands that produce foods like cheese and ice cream using non-dairy and organic ingredients.

However, the best thing to do is talk to your doctor about a diet that would be suitable for you.