Billions of people worldwide are affected by lactose intolerance. A quick and accurate diagnosis allows for the prescription of a diet or even treatment for the affected patient.
Causes of lactose intolerance
Lactose is an important nutrient for infants, who digest it relatively well thanks to the enzyme β-galactosidase, which all young children naturally produce. However, some people stop producing this enzyme in sufficient quantities as adults. Lactose is composed of two types of sugar, glucose and galactose, and lactase breaks them down and reabsorbs them. When the body's production is insufficient, lactose passes directly into the intestine undigested. This causes gastrointestinal problems.
It is worth noting that 90% of the Asian, African and Native American population suffers from lactose intolerance.
Diagnosis of lactose intolerance
In the presence of these symptoms, the patient can obtain a precise and rapid diagnosis. The BioHit from MIC France is easy to perform. It contains all the reagents necessary for the analysis of a duodenal biopsy sample and does not require any additional equipment. The analysis takes place in two very simple phases. First, the sample is mixed with a first substrate before being covered for a quarter of an hour, then in a second step, a drop of solution
chromogen and 2 drops of signaling solution are added. After shaking the mixture 5 or 6 times, it should be left to stand for 5 minutes. At the end of this second step, the analyst will read the result by consulting the color scale on the plate.
There are three possible diagnoses: blue indicates a normal result; light blue indicates a mild lactase deficiency, and finally an absence of color will confirm a severe lactase deficiency.
Diet and treatment
The rapidity of this lactose intolerance diagnosis allows the doctor to recommend a suitable diet. Tablets can also be used to compensate for the lactase deficiency. These medications, taken half an hour before a "risky" meal at a restaurant or family gathering, can help limit gastrointestinal disturbances.
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