CANTIKA.COM, Jakarta – Milk allergy is different from lactose intolerance. According to nutritionist dr. Arif Sabta Aji, S.Gz, the condition of lactose intolerance cannot be changed or cured, while milk allergy can be reduced by taking medication and even disappear as a person ages.
Lactose intolerance is a condition when a person is unable to fully digest lactose in dairy products due to a deficiency of the enzyme lactase in the digestive tract. This enzyme functions to convert lactose into simple forms, namely glucose and galactose which are beneficial for the metabolic system in the body.
“Meanwhile, milk allergy is caused by an excessive response of our body’s immune system due to the milk protein we consume. We can actually handle milk allergies, unlike lactose intolerant,” said a lecturer in Public Health at Alma Ata University during a press conference on Thursday, January 13, 2022.
In addition, the difference between lactose intolerance and milk allergy can also be seen from the symptoms. In milk allergy, sufferers usually experience: rash or itching of the skin. While lactose intolerance does not cause uncomfortable effects on the digestive tract after 30 minutes to two hours of consuming milk.
When a person lacks the enzyme lactase and consumes milk with lactase content, continued Arif, the digestive tract will absorb more water from all parts of the body. Therefore, a lactose intolerant person will usually experience diarrhea and feel an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach after consuming milk.
“So, thank you for friends who can consume cow’s milk as usual. Because lactose intolerance is uncomfortable. In terms of the percentage, almost 80 percent of the people are lactose intolerant,” he said.
Arif said that many Asian people experience lactose intolerance because they have not had the habit or tradition of drinking cow’s milk for generations.
“From a cultural perspective and from generation to generation, our society is not an ordinary milk drinker. Unlike Europe, they are exposed to a lot of milk consumption in that country. If we are not as many or as ordinary as the people there. That’s why we finally have the characteristics of being lactose intolerant,” said Arif.
He emphasized that lactose actually has many benefits for the human body, as well as cow’s milk itself. For someone who is lactose intolerant, that doesn’t mean you have to avoid or not consume milk at all.
“Knowing the difference between intolerance and milk allergy is very important. Then we know, being lactose intolerant doesn’t actually mean we shouldn’t drink milk. We can still get the benefits of milk, especially cow’s milk, for health with lactose-free products,” he said.
Also read: Lactose Intolerance is One of the Reasons for Low Milk Consumption
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