Title: ​ Can You Eat Dairy If You Are Lactose Intolerant? | Men’s Health
Headings: ​Is It Bad to Eat Dairy If It Gives You Diarrhea?
​Is It Bad to Eat Dairy If It Gives You Diarrhea?
Experts reveal if your milk habit is doing your body harm​
What Exactly Is Lactose Intolerance?
So How Bad Is It to Eat Dairy If You’re Lactose Intolerant?

Content: As a result, many of lose the lactase enzyme that allows us to break those milk sugars down into smaller parts, says Hunnes. That’s what causes lactose intolerance. Without enough of the lactase enzyme, your body can’t metabolize dairy, leading to digestive problems like diarrhea, abdominal cramping or pain, bloating, gas, nausea, and sometimes even vomiting about 30 minutes to two hours after eating it. ( Here’s what to do if you get diarrhea on a run .) “The severity of symptoms typically increases with the amount of lactose you eat,” says Dr. Inra. Usually, lactose intolerance is something that develops as you age—you’ll usually notice some symptoms start to begin in adolescence. It’s also possible to pick up symptoms later in life, says Dr. Inra. An injury to your small intestine—from infection or inflammation, such as from celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disorders—can also lead to lactose intolerance. The good news, though, is in these cases, your lactase levels will return to normal after you treat the underlying disease. Otherwise, lactose intolerance doesn’t get better over time—even if you try to reintroduce yourself to dairy little by little, she says.