Lactose Intolerance Test Kits

Lactose intolerance is now a very common digestive problem. The severity varies from person to person, some people can consume small amounts of lactose, others cannot even have a tiny amount of milk. Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk or dairy allergy. If you are lactose intolerant, then simple changes to your diet are all that is required.

Why Use A Lactose Intolerance Test?

We know that about 15% of the UK population suffers from lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is where you cannot fully digest the sugar-lactose- in milk. The result can leave people with diarrhoea, gas and bloating and feeling really uncomfortable. People who suffer from this usually do not have enough of the enzyme lactase in the small intestine. Taking a home lactose intolerance test could help you confirm that you are lactose intolerant and manage your diet accordingly.

Who Should Use A Lactose Intolerance Test?

If after consuming foods or drink that contain lactose you have diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, bloating and gas you may want to take a home lactose intolerance test. This will very quickly tell you if you are lactose intolerant. If you are then, with so many lactose free products on the market, it is fairly easy to remove lactose from your diet.

What’s In A Lactose Intolerance Test?

You will either find a general food intolerance test that tests for lactose intolerance-these require hair samples, or you will find a test that just tests for lactose intolerance. The latter will usually ask for a sample of your exhaled breath. If this is the case, then you will be sent a respiratory gas test kit. This will include a mouthpiece for air sampling, a test substance, air test tubes and a return envelope.

What Does A Lactose Intolerance Test Do?

When your breath is sampled, the lab will look for levels of hydrogen and methane. This is because if you are lactose intolerant then malabsorbed lactose passes into the large intestine undigested, then undergoes fermentation by gut bacteria which produces hydrogen and/or methane gas. The gas is absorbed into the bloodstream and ends up in the lungs where it is exhaled and collected in your sample. Higher than usual levels of hydrogen and/or methane can indicate that you are lactose intolerant.