As a child, you guzzled dairy, dipped cream filled Oreos in milk, begged for ice cream as breakfast. However, a number of years later, you may notice indulging in a glass of dairy may be problematic than it is enjoyable. 

Lactose intolerance results from an issue with the breakdown of the milk sugar lactose into simple sugars for absorption into the bloodstream. The sugar is a carbohydrate and the breakdown, aka digestion, of lactose is normally digested by the enzyme lactase. It is produced by the small intestine. Humans are born with an abundance of the enzyme at a birth to fulfill the main source of nutrition given by mothers. As our diets become more varied throughout time, the production usually decreases. In fact, 75 percent of the world’s population loses the ability to digest lactase at some point in age. The intolerance, or inability to produce lactase, is essentially caused by a gene misspelling leading to the absence or reduced production of the enzyme where the symptoms of lactose intolerance come about. 

Being born with a lactose intolerance is rare, but it’s actually common to develop a lactose intolerance as you get older. It is also important not to confuse a milk allergy with lactose intolerance. A milk allergy is often diagnosed at an early age and can be severe. It is an immune system reaction to a protein in dairy products, either casein or whey. It is not an issue with the breakdown of the protein itself. On another note, proteins and carbohydrates are digested by entirely different types of enzymes as well. 

Those with lactose intolerance vary with reaction when consuming different dairy products. Tiny amounts of lactose may cause intense painful symptoms in one individual and very mild conditions in another. To this day, it is not entirely clear why symptoms vary from person to person but it might be due to different gut bacteria.

The signs and symptoms of an intolerance usually begins between 30 minutes to two hours following consumption of lactose. Symptoms can include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea

If you can’t seem to prevent yourself from taking in dairy, you should focus on consuming small amounts at a time and with other foods. Yogurts with probiotics and hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Swiss, and Gouda will always be much easier on your stomach too.  

An easy trick to determine which cheeses have low lactose levels is to check the nutrition label. Because we know lactose is the sugar found in milk, the fewer grams of sugar, the lower the chances of indigestion to the product will be. Additionally, while it may sound like an unpleasant, personal science project, studies have been shown to say that you may be able to build your tolerance. On a full stomach, consuming a small amount of dairy, two to three times a day can help to recondition your digestive system to break down dairy without discomfort. 

It may seem at times, lactose intolerance is a major hassle. However, you shouldn’t think of lactose intolerance as a downside of adulthood. It can be a struggle for sure, but unless of course you consider dairy some of your favorite foods, it isn’t a huge loss. Milk products don’t actually offer any essential nutrients that cannot be found elsewhere, and they often contain sources of fat that really don’t offer any benefits. Saying bye to dairy products also often means saying bye to the hormones in dairy causing flare ups in your skin. Lastly, with the abundance of dairy free and milk substitutes in grocery stores can make the life of lactose intolerance a lot easier to splurge in diary similarities.  

Did you know a fungus, specifically a yeast, Candida Albicans ultimately causes most fungal infections? Candida is typically found in small amounts of our digestive tract, mouth, and skin. For digestion, it flourishes as part of the “gut” bacteria. It’s good bacteria qualities assist in digestion, nutrition absorption, and aids the immune system with recognizing and destroying harmful bacteria.  

However, just like anything else, too much of a good thing can be bad. A disruption of the proper proportion between good and bad bacteria can lead to Candida overgrowth. This causes an infection known as candidiasis and begins by breaking down the walls of the digestive tract. These infections are most common in warm, moist, areas of the body, such as the armpits and groin. We hear candidiasis more commonly referred to as yeast infections. 

Given this information, yeast infections are essentially caused by an imbalance of the gut bacteria. The most common causes for an imbalance in the gut are:

• Eating an abundance of processed foods such as those with high carbohydrates and sugars. Sugars and grains feed candida for overgrowth. 
• Hormonal changes such as during a woman’s menstruation cycle or pregnancy 
• Chronic stress, directly impacting your immune system
• Antibiotics often kill many unhealthy bacteria affecting the balance of the gut as well. 

Getting plenty of good bacteria, otherwise called probiotics, will help bring back the proper balance and get rid of the Candida overgrowth. You can also easily get some probiotics in by eating certain foods such as: 

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut. 

Other foods that have been shown to fight Candida also include:

• Garlic
• Coconut oil
• Curcuimin
• Kombucha 

On top of these foods replenishing us back to a natural healthy state of gut flora, another option to get the balance back to normal is a flora cleanse. Garden of Life provides a flora cleanse specifically addressing Candida. If you decide to take a cleanse like this, it is still important to continue to avoid inflammatory food such as the starchy carbohydrates and sugars mentioned above. They can still harm the gastrointestinal tract. 

Unfortunately, dietary changes may not always do the trick. If you do not see improvement, antifungal drugs are the most common form of treatment. Candida is typically not by any means life threatening but it is to note that it may spread and eventually reach the bloodstream if left untreated. If you are looking in more ways to improve your health outside of yeast infections, Garden of Life provides numbers of other advanced formulas for an array of supplements.