You are what you eat

You are what you eat is not a new saying, but it’s one that seems to mean nothing to many of us according to a new study commissioned by Lactofree, which found that Brits don’t consider diet as a possible cause when feeling under the weather.

The study shows that only one in seven of us ever attribute our health problems to internal causes, such as the food and drink we put in to our bodies, choosing instead to blame external factors, such as a change of season. It was also revealed that over 80% of people ignore the symptoms of ill-health, with almost three quarters (72%) ignoring them for up to a week.

According to the survey, over half of the respondents also suffer from symptoms such as wind, bloating, cramps, diarrhoea and sickness - which are all signs of lactose intolerance - yet 2 in 5 (38%) don’t even review their diet when they suffer from these. Interestingly, the same number of people (38%) actually confuse the condition lactose intolerance with IBS due to the similarity of symptoms.

Thought to affect up to 15% of the UK population (1 in 7 people), lactose intolerance is the body’s inability to produce enough of the enzyme, lactase, in the digestive tract. Without it, lactose (the natural sugar found in milk and other dairy products) cannot be digested properly, causing symptoms such as nausea, stomach cramps and bloating after consuming dairy products.

Dr. Ellie Cannon (GP), Lactofree Advisory Board Member, comments: “It’s important that we remember how much our diet and lifestyle contribute to our overall well-being. If you are experiencing every day, common symptoms like bloating, wind and even stomach cramps, you can discover the causes and avoid them – you don’t have to continue suffering!”

It was also revealed that a quarter of those surveyed never make an effort to consume certain foods and drinks that would help them feel better and improve their overall health, with only a quarter saying that they would change their diet if a certain food was making them feel unwell.

Thanks to Lactofree- real dairy, just without the lactose - you can now eat normally, and without the nasty consequences. To see whether you might be lactose intolerant go to lactofree.co.uk/discovery/ and try the Discovery Tool or for further information surrounding the condition go to lactoseintolerant.co.uk.