Although elimination diets are typically related to identifying food allergies, you can use an elimination diet to help you identify which diary products you can and cannot tolerate. If you're lactose intolerant, you develop bloating, gas, diarrhea and foul-smelling stools within 20 to 30 minutes after ingesting dairy, according to MedlinePlus. If you suspect that you're lactose intolerant, make an appointment with your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment options.
Lactose Intolerance
If you're lactose intolerant, your body has a deficiency of the proper enzymes needed to digest lactose, a sugar found in cow's milk. Lactase is the enzyme needed to process lactose. Almost everyone is intolerant towards lactose to one degree or another, but only those with distinctive symptoms are considered lactose intolerant. The lack of lactase causes digestive difficulty that can develop into cramping, abdominal pain and floating stools. The condition is typically confused with a milk allergy.
Identifying Intolerance Level
Because everyone has a different level of intolerance to lactose, you may be able to identify which foods and how much of each food your body can naturally tolerate. An elimination diet will help you find the foods you can eat and know what quantities you can easily digest. Before modifying your diet, talk to your doctor. Any diet used to treat a medical condition needs to be evaluated by a physician.
Elimination Diet
To begin an elimination diet, remove all dairy products from your diet for up to two weeks. Use dairy substitutes, such as soy milk, rice-based cheeses and other nondairy products. After the two weeks has ended, begin to add small amounts of lactose back into your diet. For example, begin with a 4-oz. glass of milk and record your reaction in a food log. If you successfully tolerate a 4-oz. glass of milk, attempt to drink an 8-oz. glass the next day. Continue to increase the amount of diary in one sitting until you develop adverse reactions.
Conclusion
After you've eliminated various forms of dairy, share your results with your doctor. Some diary contains less lactose, such as yogurt, cottage cheese and other dairy containing live cultures. Your doctor may want to perform some tests to confirm your intolerance and may also recommend common treatments to help alleviate symptoms if you ingest too much milk.
Treatment
MayoClinic.com notes that you can lactose intolerance by using lactose-free milk or a dietary supplement of the lactase enzyme or by avoiding dairy all together.
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