View Full Version : advice on lactase
rebecca c
09-06-2005, 07:31 PM
Copper - some advice please
I am trying out singulair which contains lactase and 3 days in it is already upsetting my stomach so I was wondering if lactase might be worth a try. Is it expensive? Is it Ok to take it every day, what health food store do you get it from?
Copper
09-06-2005, 09:08 PM
Hi Rebecca. I bought my lactase capsules from an independent health food shop. Mine are called "Lifeplan lactase enzyme" and come in a jar of 30 and cost me £4.69. They contain the following -
Soybean oil, Lactase enzyme, Gelatine, Sorbitol, Glycerine, Lecithin, Titanium dioxide and Beeswax.
The directions are to take 1 or 2 capsules with a little cold water immediately before eating foods which contain milk or dairy.
There are other brands and they may be cheaper.
paranoidangel
09-06-2005, 10:18 PM
Actually, I think they're nearly the cheapest there is. I went to three different health food shops (one was Holland and Barret the other two were independent ones) and got Quest, GNC and Holland & Barret. The Quest ones were about £7-8 for 30, Holland & Barret were a similar price for 60. Although Quest say take 1-2, the other two say take 1-3.
I've only taken the Quest ones so far and they definitely work.
Two questions- Do you know of any brands that don't contain sorbitol? I'm quite sensitive to it and the other question- does it specify the gelatine basis, (is it beef based?)
Sorry two quite random questions, but the tablets might help make things easier for eating out.
paranoidangel
10-06-2005, 08:35 AM
My Quest ones don't have any sorbital or gelatine, and say they're suitable for vegans.
Copper
10-06-2005, 08:22 PM
No they don't tell me anything else about the gelatine :( PAs pills sound good to me. I must look out for those when I need some more.
Fozzybear
11-06-2005, 07:58 AM
Sorbitol! I remember our canteen giving out free packs of Clorets and becasue we all had a load of them everyone ended up spending all day in the toilet because sorbitol is a laxative. See here:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CDG/content/CDG_sorbitol.html
Yeah, I know sorbitol is a laxative, just unfortunatly some poor folk are much more sensitive to it than others!!! Most sugar free sweets have sorbitol in them, its not good. Its better for your teeth, but the chemicals and the laxative effect aren't so good for you!
I tried the lactase enzyme tablets today, I've got the quest ones, had one tablet before having a about half a glass of milk, I feel better than normally after having lactose, although my problems are most evident about 10-12 hours after, so that should be about midnight, but not quite right. I'm trying to decide whether this is in my head or not? But I've been busy a lot of the day, so have been trying not to think about it. And I don't know whether I should have tried it with two tablets or just the one.... I've been lethargic all afternoon and quite catarrhy, and the usual unsettled stomach. Any advice/ opinions especially from those that have tried the tablets??
Hi Claire.
I tried the tablets a while back and have to admit that I felt ok at first. The only problems I had were psychological. After about a week however I was having the usual symptoms, which were probably a build up of lactose.
I never seemed to actually work out whether they worked or not.
Sorry about the confused post.
Lan.
;););)
Copper
20-08-2005, 08:36 PM
I personally would only use lactase tablets for small amounts of dairy in food - usually when eating out and you are not sure that there is no dairy in what you are eating. I like to play very safe. PA is currently here with me for the weekend and we both agree that you should have taken 2 tablets. I hope that you don't feel too ill at midnight.
i'm a coward, if it isn't broke don't fix it. ok so it'd be easier to eat without having to think but i can live without dairy.
Copper
21-08-2005, 11:51 AM
I have used my lactase tablets for those moments when I have been heavy handed with the lactolite in my coffee. I would not use them to go out and binge dairy products. I have used them when I have been out as a precaution in case there is some dairy in something. I still try very hard to eat dairy free products when eating out.
I managed to get through the night, it affected me earlier than midnight, so managed to get some sort of sleep- with some really bizarre dreams, which I think I might put down to the lactose!!
The strange thing is that I eventually I felt worse having had the tablets than when had lactose previously- I became light headed and not really 'with it', but am unsure whether these are lactose related or not!
Its not an experiment I want to try again, but will take the tablets with me to America, (which is when I'm most likely to need them) and if there is no option but to eat dairy, I will have the tablets and hope they reduce the impact.
I agree with Matt as well, plus my life is simpler not eating dairy permanently, otherwise I'd just confuse myself by reintroducing small amounts of dairy. If I try the tablets again, I'll take two and let you know how I get on.
Fozzybear
21-08-2005, 04:34 PM
I've had light-headedness and that feeling of not being with it - all the doctors that I mentioned it to said that I can't have since "that is nothing to do with IBS". I don't get it now I don't eat dairy though - what a shocker!
Copper
21-08-2005, 09:24 PM
My brother has lactose intolerance and appears to go on a dairy bender now and again :unsure: He gets the usual things - throwing up etc and says his brain goes on holiday for a couple of days. This begs the question why eat dairy when you know how ill you will be.
PinkyPrincess
21-08-2005, 09:42 PM
That is a good point about having the tablets before you go out for a meal, in case you can't totally avoid it...
Agggh!!! Singulair tablets. I remember a so-called 'respiratory specialist' trying to give me singulair tablets for a chronic cough. My gut instinct told me not to take them. I asked my pharmacist to give me a copy of the list of side-effects--one of them was a cough! and one (if my memory serves me correctly) was death. I chose not to take them--my cough has gone. I was just looking at a website (http://medications.com/go/se/Singulair - scroll down) of people's experiences of using Singulair and was pretty horrified by how many people had nasty responses to them. No wonder my gut instinct directed me away from those tablets.
to be fair on the tablets the side effect of any medication is potential death! but after saying that they aren't something i'll be trying.
I agree some times the side-effects outweigh the potential benefits, but other times its neccessary that you take the risk and hope the best for the side effects.
Was talking to a Chinese medicine practicationer, who seemed quite surprised that the tablets didn't appear to work.
Copper, I can kind of understand why he goes on a dairy bender sometimes, everyone knows its frustrating, and some days it surely seems that its just easier to put up with the side effects.... But then its the same principal as why do people go on drink related benders, they have similar reactions, and still do it....
Copper
22-08-2005, 08:04 PM
How can it be fun eating the wrong things or drinking to excess so you spend hours looking down the toilet?
drinking too much? well the thing is you never think you're going to drink that much or that the reaction won't be that bad this time.....then as you get older th hangovers become more troublsome and not as easy to recover from...
then you become alcohol free like me. i think i'm just about averaging a healthy intake now when you count the years from my 18th!B)
Copper I didn't say it was fun, or that it was a sensible thing to do, all I meant was that I can kind of understand why people do it, they hope the reaction won't be as bad the next time etc...
I wasn't advocating dairy benders, honestly!!
Broxine
23-08-2005, 02:00 PM
I think everyone occassionally has something or does something that they know won't have nice concequences - whether it be drinking, going out in the midday sun without sun cream, smoking, eating dairy or just eating something fattening! Sometimes you just feel like doing what you want to do now and worrying about the concequences later. Its not nescissarily a good thing, but I for one am not 100% perfectly behaved at all times (in fact i'm barely 50% good on a good day!)
Sometimes you just feel like doing what you want to do now and worrying about the concequences later.
Ah this is what I was trying to say!!
Lack of studying is turning my brain to mush, sorry
PinkyPrincess
23-08-2005, 03:54 PM
I actually haven't purposefully sinned once since I started this hell lol. I'm quite impressed with myself, but then again it's blimmin agony when I do get symptoms, so the pleasure of eating a naughty food can't really outweigh that.
I just had a thought, can I chew on a nice treacle tart or something then spit it out? If no-one's watching? Please?!
(sorry!)
Broxine
23-08-2005, 04:20 PM
I have only cheated on the dairy thing once since giving up, which I'm really proud of since my will power is so awful! But then I have cheated a lot more on other things like I'm not supposed to have caffine or alcohol, but about 1 in every 5 or 6 times I go out I'll end up drinking 1 or the other (or both!) I suffer badly for the next few days but I never think about that... The only thing that stops me having them every time I go out is that I know I'll get moaned at by my mum/doctor etc. If it was just down to me I'd be in agony all the time! I'm very much a live for the moment kind of person... maybe I'll change with age!
Copper
23-08-2005, 05:01 PM
Ah well I have always been sensible.
Even when you were younger Copper?
Having said that, I've only had dairy when the doctor has made me/ when I tried the lactase enyzmes, I just get grumpy when I'm ill, so don't bother.
Getting up at 5.30 six days a week to go rowing, was enough to put me off drinking a lot of alcohol, and I've never drunk coffee!
Copper
23-08-2005, 11:03 PM
Yes most of the time :)
If I make a mistake with my lactose intake for the day I know about it by bedtime. I then spend all night feeling so sick I don't know whether to stay in bed or camp out by the loo in case. The last time I did that was nearly 2 years ago afer I had been out for lunch with a friend. I felt so bad that I vowed I would never let that happen again.
I got up this morning feeling delicate :( I can only put this down to a possible problem with sunflower oil. I will be having chips again on Friday so I will have to see if it happens again.
Hope you're feeling a bit better now Copper.
Is it home made chips you are having or shop bought ones?
Copper
24-08-2005, 02:32 PM
I am ok now. When I get ill from a new intolernace/allergy it only lasts unil about 11am - just in time for a nice cup of coffee :)
I eat Tesco oven chips - naughty I know but I can't be good all of the time. I will have some on Friday night and see what happens. I developed a problem with Walkers S&V crisps earlier this year and thought that might be down to sunflower oil. I eat crisps that are cooked in vegetable oil now and I am fine. Time will tell if I am correct about the sunflower oil.
Copper, you told me you were sensible at all times :P
Just start making your own chips and cook them in different oil. You can't give up on chips, its just not allowed!!
Fozzybear
24-08-2005, 05:38 PM
Because I don't buy much frozen stuff any more (burgers and sausages and pies and so on) I don't really eat chips much now. I had a bag in the freezer that I'd had one meal out of and went to use them again and discovered that they were out of date! I tend to have baked potatoes much more now but I do fancy a nice bowl of chips now after reading this. Maybe I'll have that tomorrow night - baked spud with Heinz chilli beans tonight!
i like making oven ones from fresh.
large potato, cut into chips, into bowl with olive oil and rock salt.( and some herbs of your choice, dried) then into gas mark 8 oven for about 1/2 hour on tray. turning once. very nice.
Copper
25-08-2005, 11:36 AM
Thanks for that Matt. I will try the usual ones on Friday as I need to find out what is making me ill. If I feel ill after that I will try your version of chips.
Good luck Copper, hope its not too bad for you.
...then into gas mark 8 oven for about 1/2 hour on tray. turning once. very nice.
Matt
What temperature is Gas Mark 8 in degrees celsius? Everyone I know here has an electric oven.
Pen
http://www.circlecity.co.uk/kitchen/conversions/gasmark.php
Hope this helps Pen
Thanks for that.
But 220 degrees C! The electricity is so poor here that my oven doesn't ever reach that temperature!!! It takes nearly 2 hours for a baked potato to cook! I will have to try the fries (oops, chips [chips are crisps here]) on 200 degrees C which is about as hot as my oven gets.
Hi all,
They sound lovely Matt. Will have to give them a go. (If my mother let's me near here brand new cooker, that is).:bleh::bleh::bleh:
Lan.
they'll do at a lower temp just take a bit longer that's all. don't forget to turn them over.
:drool:
Hey Matt
The chips were great! As well as the olive oil and Maldon Sea Salt, I added grated garlic and chopped sage from my garden. Mmmm! Smelt like garlic bread cooking (ooh, I remember bread!) They took an hour to cook (and I did turn them over) in my inefficient oven with erratic Canadian electricity supply. I might try them with basil next time as I have a lot of it growing in my garden. Also some spicey Cayenne Pepper ones could be interesting.
I usually cook my chips in Mazola corn oil in a deep fat fryer, but I am concerned that reheated oils undergo changes in molecular structure as time goes on. While I prefer the texture of deep-fried chips, I am happier eating something that has been cooked in fresh dose of healthy olive oil, especially with all those extra flavours. :drool:
Thanks for the recipe!
tigerlily
02-10-2005, 10:45 PM
Does anybody know of any ones for children?
Vanessa.
why wouldn't kids like these ones???
just slice chips smaller and cook slightly less time.
Most bought chips are fine, there are just the odd ones with a flavoured coating that contain milk. I use McCain Home Fries oven chips as I don't do deep frying here.
Edit: Oops, just realised you probably mean any lactase tablets suitable for children and the thread had taken a diversion to chips (we very rarely stay on the original subject). The answer to that one I don't know - perhaps a good health food shop would be able to help you, there might be some drops that can be taken or capsules that can be broken open.
I assumed we were talking about Lactase tablets!!
Tablets can probably be broken into little bits or something. I'd either try a health food shop or look on the internet to see whether you can find what you want to see whether it exists (but I wouldn't advise buying online) and then see if a shop can get you something like it.
Copper
03-10-2005, 02:08 PM
I have googled :) Various sites say adults can take lactase capsules but children have to stick with a non dairy diet. The reason for this is obvious to me now that I have read it. The capsule containing the lactase is not digested in the stomach, which means it releases the enzyme in the small intestine.
Enzymes all have their own different "needs" for optimum working. In the body (well not mine obviously) the lactase enzyme is produced in the small intestine where it works best - pH (ie acid or alakai measure) and temperature. If we give a lactase syrup to a child then the stomach would probably destroy it. The stomach is very acid. The poor child would then still suffer as the lactase would not work.
I hope that makes sense.
Does that mean that if you used a crushed tablet then it would work or not? The ones I have don't seem to have a protective coating on, so crushing wouldn't make the enzymes vulnerable...
Does anybody know of any ones for children?
Vanessa.
I thought Tigerlily was asking about 'recipes for children.' I had thanked Matt for his recipe, and Matt replied he was happy to help. Maybe Tigerlily can put us straight.
Tigerlily, just in case it was recipes you were looking for, you might like to look into the book "The Child-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook." When I worked in a specialist bookstore earlier this year, this is one of the books I was drawn to.
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