Hi

I am also new to the list..i hope i am not breaching protocol with my views.


>Could someone please explain why adults who were
>apparently lactose tolerant all their lives suddenly
>become intolerant, especially in their thirties.

I see a number of situations that explain this - a lot of people have a
lurking intolerance that they have ignored for a long time so long the body
changes the symptoms - the sudden diarhoea of a lactose intolerance we might
have had as a child, may have changed into recurrent colds, sore throats or
asthma as an adult.  Avoiding dairy then trying it again can bring on the
strong direct symptoms of the intolerance.

Having the gut flora change for what ever reason...travelling overseas and
encountering different parasites/'bugs'/bacteria etc common to that
community, severe stress (throwing the autonomic sympathetic nervous system
into disaray - underpowering the digestive system as a consequence) or a
bout of gastro can all do it. Once the flora has been altered the lurking
intolerance may come to a head.

Or otherwise..as we get older and continue to beat our body about with foods
and stress it dislikes - it can just give up and give in and  cause
problems. (most noticeabley from the late twenties onwards)

>now know that this is because I am extremely
>intolerant and will have a couple bouts of diarrhea
>after eating even just a hamburger bun without Lactaid
>pills.  The "hidden" lactose in all sorts of products
>made it hard for me to elucidate the cause of my
>problem.)

Sure the "hidden" lactose is a problem..but so is all that refined wheat,
food additives and goodness knows what else thats in that meal :)  Once
again the tired ragged undernourished digestive system is complaining loudly
(having already had severe bouts of diarrhoea it is likely you have become
deficient in a number of nutrients as well).

>Eventually I educated myself about hidden lactose, and
>was able to solve the problem.  Now, I drink Lactaid
>100 and eat Tofutti Non-dairy ice cream, chocolate
>supreme flavor (no, I'm not getting paid for
>promotions!), use non-dairy creamer in coffee, and
>carry Lactaid Ultra pills in my pocket.   Since then I
>have learned that it is apparently common for this
>problem to develop around the age of thirty.

As people can have a problem with both the protein and the sugar (lactose)
lactaid wont always solve the problem.

 I've found that it is not easy to be an
>intolerant minority member in a tolerant majority world
>(I live in New York City).

Hey you ought to try New Zealand!  After a recent visit to my homeland i was
astounded by how everything is still covered in a big layer of cheese
..ick...I generally find out eating in places like that - sticking to asian
foods (countries with a long heritage of dairy intolerance) the safest and
most nutritious bet (it tastes good too :)


Gill
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Gill Stannard * Herbalist/naturopath
Melbourne, Australia
email: [log in to unmask]

"We come from the earth,we return to the earth
 and in between we garden"  Amie Hill
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