If you are lactose intolerant and suffer from back pain, you might be surprised to know that the two may be related.
To understand how there could be a link between lactose intolerance and back pain, first we must understand what causes lactose intolerance.
Lactose is a sugar product found in many food items, especially common in the milk of all mammals regardless whether the mother is consuming it or not. Lactose intolerance is usually inherited (although some are still debating this) and usually arises when you cannot produce or produce enough of the enzyme Lactase. This enzyme is the key to breaking down Lactose for digestion. The inability of the body to do so usually results in severe stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence. In very rare cases, babies that are lactose intolerant develop what is known as congenital lactase deficiency. These infants will suffer from diarrhoea from birth. In years gone by, this situation was often fatal. However today it is easily treated in most major hospitals.
University researchers have found that nearly 75% of the African American population, 90% of Asian Americans, 80% of American Indians and 50% of Latin Americans all have some kind of intolerance for lactose. It has also been revealed that people within these groups show a decline in Lactase production from the age of five.
So is there a link between lactose intolerance and back pain?
It is a common fact that dairy products contain a lot of calcium and that calcium is needed for healthy bones. In the western world, 75% of our calcium intake is done through dairy products and for anyone that is lactose intolerant this intake is reduced quite dramatically.
Due mainly to a lack of understanding and also information, most people suffering from lactose intolerance just cut all dairy products from their daily diet all together and do not replace their daily calcium intake from other calcium-rich foods.
This in turn has devastating consequences resulting in the demineralization of the bones in girls as young as thirteen and even osteoporosis and fractures of the lumbar spine for many women in the later years. Demineralization can also result in very small fractures in the vertebrae causing mild to severe back pain and other associated back problems. This is why it is very crucial to seek consultation from doctors like dr. Joshua S. Rovner to ensure that you are getting the right medical attention.
There is also a strong possibility that there could be a link between lactose intolerance and back pain and being allergic to milk. Milk allergies create lots of mucoid plaque, which in turn can put a lot of pressure on the lower back region. People that have undergone a total detox of the body have reported a significant drop in the levels of back pain felt. If you have a blotted abdomen, chances are that mucoid plaque is most probably the cause of the pain. However it is always wise to seek the help of a qualified physician for a professional diagnosis.
How It Affects Men
It is well known that more women that men suffer from osteoporosis. However men that are lactose intolerant and suffer from prostate cancer are usually prescribed female hormones hence increasing the risk of demineralization and osteoporosis.
How to Fix It
It is essential that if you are lactose intolerant that you replace your daily calcium intake with other calcium rich foods. One way to do this is to study other cultures and especially the foods that they consume. The Japanese and Chinese are not great consumers of dairy but do eat a lot of fish, which is very high in calcium. Other sources of calcium include seaweed, soybeans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sun dried tomatoes and countless others. A quick search on the Internet will be able to reveal quite an extensive list that you might not have known existed.
As none of these foods carry any lactose within them, it is imperative that you start adding some of them to your daily diet. Eating foods that contain a lot of calcium has been lab proven to reduce the chance of osteoporosis and in turn prevent back pain.
