Common Dairy Digestive Problem Under-recognized And Underdiagnosed In Minorities

Lack of information and embarrassing symptoms were cited as critical education needs to address among the minority populations most affected by dairy digestive problems, a Lactaid-sponsored panel of experts concluded. The panel specifically addressed the ethnic and cultural issues that drive diagnosis and the management of dairy digestive problems, which include a variety of symptoms related to lactose intolerance.

Described as an inability to digest the natural sugar in milk and other dairy products, this condition is said to be one of the most common genetic conditions in humans. Barriers to the management of dairy digestive problems were addressed through the panel's new, holistic approach involving cultural nutritionists, medical and mental health experts.

Cultural Acceptance
Dairy digestive problems associated with lactose intolerance, which affects an estimated 30 to 50 million or 25 percent of Americans, can lead to bloating, gas, cramps and diarrhea. This causes a reported 75 percent of sufferers to abstain from the dairy products that serve as a major source of calcium, leaving them at greater risk for osteoporosis, and may also be associated with hypertension, stroke, and colon cancer.

Cultural Self Consciousness
In the U.S., lactose intolerance is estimated to affect over 50 percent of the growing Hispanic American population, 75 percent of Native Americans, 80 percent of African Americans, and 90 percent of Asian Americans. This is in contrast to Caucasians whose incidence of the condition is only about 5 to 15 percent, though as many as 75 percent of Eastern European Jews in this country also have dairy digestive problems.

Lack of Awareness about the Condition
Hispanic and African American nutrition experts on the panel pointed to the acceptance of the symptoms of dairy digestive problems, a lack of medical insurance, cultural self consciousness, low levels of awareness and more primary priorities as contributing to common and unnecessary suffering. A psychologist described how low self-esteem and withdrawal from social occasions can be consequences for some people who suffer from the symptoms of lactose intolerance. The medical panelists stressed the importance of talking openly with a doctor and not trying to ignore the symptoms.

"Difficulty digesting dairy is not a disease, but is a condition that exists when an individual lacks the lactase enzyme necessary to break down or hydrolyze the sugar present in milk and other dairy products," observed Dr. Jaime Aranda-Michel, author of "Living Well with Lactose Intolerance." A practicing Gastroenterologist and Nutritionist, he led the roundtable of medical, nutritional and mental health experts. "This is a common condition that can be more easily managed than many people may realize," he added.

More Important Priorities
Cecilia Pozo Fileti, RD, an authority on Hispanic nutrition issues, noted that a decision to address physical conditions often hinged on a family's economic situation. "When you are on a fixed income, as most people are in this economy, sometimes your choices in the supermarket are based on cost. With milk and dairy products so affordable, they are economically the best choice for getting the proper amount of calcium. Therefore, even if someone is experiencing symptoms, they may just deal with the symptoms instead of easily managing the condition."

Communication Ability
In addition to economic considerations, the way an individual was raised will greatly affect his/her comfort level and ability to communicate physical symptoms from dairy digestive problems without embarrassment, New York psychologist Linda R. Laughlin observed. Some families are more comfortable discussing their bodily functions than others, and messages children receive from their parents can help to determine their ability to communicate about their bodies as adul