Chennaiites unaware of lactose intolerance

Celebrity nutritionist, Ryan Fernando said that a vast majority of the Indian population is lactose intolerant.

It comes as good news to the lactose intolerant people in India, as India's first lactose-free, artisanal curd was launched recently by Epigamia.
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However, dieticians say that a large segment of the Chennaiites is lactose tolerant, and what’s surprising is that most of them don't even know it.

Lactose intolerance is a condition in which people have digestive symptoms, such as bloating, diarrhoea, allergies and other health issues after they consume milk or milk products. An allergic reaction to milk can be life threatening also even if a small quantity of milk product is consumed.

Celebrity nutritionist, Ryan Fernando said that a vast majority of the Indian population is lactose intolerant. “When we tested all the dieticians at the nutrition clinics, we found a whopping 95 percent of Indian population is lactose intolerant. It's time we shed light on this prevalent condition and the consequent change in diet required.”

Lactose is a type of sugar that is mainly found in milk and dairy products.

The body digests lactose using an enzyme called lactase. People who are lactose intolerant don't produce enough lactase, resulting in improper digestion of the dairy products and thus bloating and abdominal discomfort.

Dairy products do not contain enough probiotics such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacteria that also lead to abdominal discomfort, say medicos.

“Most of the people don't realise that some of the allergies and health issues related to digestion are caused because their bodies are simply unable to break down the lactose present in milk. We need to create awareness about this condition as lactose intolerance is a highly underrated problem,” said Dr J. Sundari, consultant dietician.