Prevalence of lactose intolerance (by self-report) in adults and their dietary adaptations
Abstract
Lactose intolerance occurs when individuals who have an inefficient lactose digestion manifest symptom such as colic, pain, bloating or diarrhea when consuming milk and / or milk products. In North American countries, the prevalence of self-reported lactose intolerance is between 11% and 16%. Similar data for Brazil is not available. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of lactose intolerance in the adult population by self-report and to examine their dietary adaptations. Method: cross-sectional study with individuals, randomly selected, invited to answer a questionnaire. Results: The overall prevalence of self-reported lactose intolerance was 32.3% (n = 67). Of the total sample of individuals considered to be lactose intolerant, 92.5% (n = 62) were women and 7.5% (n = 5) were men. Most (97%) reduce or eliminate dairy products from their eating routine and less than 3% do not make this change. Conclusion: The prevalence of self-reported lactose intolerance was considerably higher than that reported in other studies, almost 1 in 3 Brazilian adults believe to be lactose intolerant, and many have limited their intake of milk and dairy products. It is important that health professionals advise individuals with self-reporting or diagnosis about an appropriate food intake to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
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