Lactose Intolerance and the HG Diet

[Claudia Marek]

What is lactose intolerance and how does it affect the HG diet?

Lactose intolerance is an inherited condition, quite common in certain minority groups. People with lactose intolerance lack the enzyme (lactase) necessary to break down milk sugar, or lactose. Because their bodies cannot break down the sugar it passes, undigested, into the colon where it ferments and causes gas, bloating and diarrhea. Lactose is a molecule made of two other sugars: glucose and galactose. Lactase, the enzyme, breaks the bonds of this molecule --and the two pieces can be digested.

Most people get slightly lactose intolerant as they age, especially if they have not continued to consume enough products that contain the sugar.

Lactaid products have the enzyme, lactase, added to the product. This means that the body can absorb the sugar --the chemical bond that binds the glucose to the galactose is already broken.

However, what that means is the product that did contain only lactose (a low glycemic sugar) now contains glucose and galactose. Thus the carb reading on milk, for example, rises from 7 per cup to 13. And the sugar is now glucose which can cause hypoglycemic reactions.

For this reason, if you are on the low carb diet for weight loss you should not consume Lactaid products. If you are on the diet for hypoglycemia, after you have been on the diet for two months you should try a little of the lactaid containing product to see if you can tolerate the glucose.