Why can not some of the UAE residents drink milk any more?

Dubai - Lactose intolerance in adulthood is common and is the result of a genetically programmed progressive loss of the activity of lactase.

If you are an ardent milk lover, don't be surprised to know milk has no place in the lives of lactose intolerant UAE residents who turned vegan.

A report published by the US Census Bureau International Data Base, 2004, says that approximately 11 per cent of the UAE population is lactose intolerant.

Lactose intolerance in adulthood is common and is the result of a genetically programmed progressive loss of the activity of lactase, the small intestine enzyme.

Expression of the lactase enzyme starts to decline in most cases by two years. However, symptoms of lactose intolerance rarely develop in people younger than six.

"I stopped drinking milk during my childhood. The smell makes me nauseous," said Nishu Preet, a housewife in Dubai. "So I use soy milk and coconut milk to drink and very little milk in tea."

According to Dr Naveen Hood Ali, general practitioner at Medeor 24x7 Hospital, Abu Dhabi, people are avoiding milk because of the fear of fat and carbohydrate content.

Natural dairy milk contains enough carbohydrates, proteins and fat, which provide a balanced diet.

"An absolute contraindication for having milk is lactose intolerance, otherwise milk is fine. Some people avoid milk as they are vegans. Hence they prefer soya milk or other substitutes over dairy milk as it has lesser calories."

According to Dr Savita V. Jain, a pediatrician, lactose intolerance symptoms depend on the amount of lactose consumed. The more lactose your child consumes, the more symptoms he or she will experience. Symptoms can occur within minutes to hours after drinking milk or eating dairy products and range from mild to severe.

Milk sales unaffected

A spokesperson from the Lulu supermarket chain, however, highlights that regular milk sale remains high followed by yoghurt in the dairy products segment.

"Regular milk has bigger market in comparison to substitutes like soya, rice or almond milk . The market of such products is less than 2-3 per cent. These types of milk are imported and not manufactured here. Demand for milk was always high and will always be high. Even the price of milk powder has come down drastically now. There is a decrease of more than 20-30 per cent in the last 4-5 years."

Health awareness on the rise

Redha Mansouri, CEO, Fresh Fruits Company in Dubai, believes that increased health awareness among the consumers has resulted in a shift away from unhealthy foods high in saturated fats towards consuming more fruits and vegetables and juice products.

Lactose intolerance and other perceived negative benefits of dairy products have brought about a shift towards consuming dairy alternatives such as soy and almond milk.Also, obesity is a growing concern in the UAE and the government has rolled out several initiatives to tackle the problem. These initiatives involve the promotion of healthier food and drink choices, particularly among school children. Dairy products such as cheese, milk, butter and yogurt contribute to cholesterol and saturated fats in our diet which can result in increasing the risk of heart disease and cause other serious health problems.

Milk allergy is not lactose intolerance

Milk intolerance is more frequent due to milk protein allergy than primary lactose deficiency. Many parents confuse lactose intolerance with milk allergy. While they may share similar symptoms, they are entirely different conditions. Lactose intolerance is a digestive problem, while milk allergy involves the immune system. So, while lactose intolerance can cause a great deal of discomfort, it will not produce a life-threatening reaction such as anaphylaxis.

Milk allergies tend to appear within the first year of life, while an infant's digestive system is still quite immature. Lactose intolerance can start in childhood into adolescence and can become more noticeable into adulthood.

Lactose is present in many food products and in some medications. Manufacturers also often add milk and milk products to boxed, canned, frozen, packaged, and prepared foods.

However, enough calcium can be got from dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and kale, nuts (almonds), beans (white beans), fish (sardines, salmon) and calcium-fortified orange. Another possible way is to take calcium supplement.

Know the symptoms

These are the symptoms you should watch out for to know whether you are lactose tolerant or not:

> Nausea

> Abdominal pain, cramping, and bloating

> Loose stools and gas

> Watery diarrhea with gas

How to identify lactose-free items

?Check the ingredients on food labels and the nutrition facts to find possible sources of lactose in food products. If a food label includes any of the following words, the product contains lactose.

> Milk

> Lactose

> Whey

ankita@khaleejtimes.com