Why take our Lactose Intolerance Test?
With the Lactose Intolerance Test, you receive a lactose powder that you dissolve in water and ingest. You give a total of five breath samples before taking the solution and afterwards.
If you have lactose intolerance, consuming lactose leads to unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhoea and flatulence. However, it is not always easy to link this discomfort to specific foods. A test can help you diagnose an intolerance and change your diet.
How does the lactose intolerance test kit work?
With our Lactose Intolerance Test, you’ll receive a lactose powder that you dissolve in water and ingest. You’ll give a total of five breath samples before and after taking the solution.
You’ll blow forcefully into a mouthpiece that is connected to a collection tube via a bag. Every 30 minutes, you’ll have to fill the five tubes with your breath. Then you send them to our specialised laboratory that analyses your breath samples.
What does the results report tell me?
The results report will tell you the concentration of hydrogen and methane in your breath. If the values are above a certain threshold, this can indicate lactose intolerance.
Methane and hydrogen are produced in the large intestine when lactose enters it. For people without this intolerance, lactose is already broken down in the small intestine by the enzyme lactase.
How long does the analysis take in the laboratory?
Once your sample has arrived at the laboratory, it will be analyzed there by specialists. How long the analysis takes depends on the exact measuring method and the processes in the laboratory.
If the sample is sent on the correct days (Sunday to Tuesday), this makes it easier for the laboratory to adhere to the times.
For the Lactose Intolerance Test, the laboratory analysis is usually completed within 5 working days after the sample is received in the laboratory.
Which recommendations will I receive?
Our results report gives you tips on which foods you should be careful with and which you can still eat without any problems. We also explain how you can find out more precisely what you can tolerate and in what quantities.
A dietary change in three phases, such as an elimination diet, might help you to adjust your diet, so that you experience less discomfort and still consume all the important nutrients.
What causes lactose intolerance?
Around 10,000 years ago, people in central and northern Europe started drinking milk. During this time, our ancestors developed the enzyme lactase in their intestines. This enzyme breaks down lactose, so that our body can absorb it without any problems.
However, many people have very little lactase in their intestines, and we all produce less lactase the older we get. For these people, lactose reaches the large intestine without being broken down. There, bacteria consume the lactose and in the process produce carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane gases as well as certain fatty acids. The result is unpleasant flatulence, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
What symptoms do you experience with lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance mainly triggers symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract. They often occur around 30 minutes after you have eaten foods containing lactose. However, it can also take hours before symptoms appear.
Typical symptoms of lactose intolerance are:
– flatulence, diarrhoea and constipation
– abdominal cramps
– nausea and vomiting
– headache
What can I do if I am lactose intolerant?
If you cannot tolerate lactose, you should not consume large amounts of milk or milk products containing lactose. Find out what you can eat without bloating and upsetting your stomach.
Also, make sure that you are still getting enough nutrients. Milk, for example, contains large amounts of calcium – this mineral is important for promoting healthy bones, among other things.
Which foods contain lactose?
Lactose is found in milk and most dairy products. Foods rich in lactose are for example:
Curd cheese
Some cheeses and cream cheese
Cream and condensed milk
Some ready-made products – such as sweets, sausages, sauces and bread and cakes
Some types of cheese, such as Swiss cheese, Emmental, Camembert and Parmesan, naturally contain no or very little lactose. Acidic natural yogurt and kefir are also often well tolerated – these foods are teeming with bacterial cultures that consume lactose.
When is it a milk allergy?
With a milk allergy, you do not react to lactose, but to milk protein. An allergic reaction usually occurs much more quickly if you have a milk allergy, and symptoms include breathing difficulties, skin reactions and swelling in the mouth.
It is also important to note that lactose-free milk products usually still contain milk protein! As an allergy sufferer, you will react to these foods.
Who should NOT take the Lactose Intolerance Test?
The lactose intolerance test kit is not or only partially suitable for certain groups of people:
People with infectious diseases, like hepatitis and HIV, may not use the Lactose Intolerance Test.
People with haemophilia should not take the test.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should only take the Lactose Intolerance Test under medical supervision. The given reference ranges and recommendations do not apply to people in this group; consult your medical professional for advice concerning your test results.
The lactose intolerance test kit is not intended for children under 18 years of age.
The test is not intended for diagnosing illnesses or disease. For example, if you suffer from chronic diarrhoea or are in physical pain, consult a doctor.
Why does the test have an expiration date?
The cerascreen® test kits are CE-marked medical devices, which in turn include other certified medical components such as lancets, patches, and alcohol swabs used in blood tests.
Like most medical devices, these components have an expiration date to ensure that they remain safe and effective. Many of our sample carriers – such as dried blood cards or sample tubes – are chemically treated to keep your sample stable and analyzable in our laboratory. Over time, environmental factors can affect this treatment and compromise accuracy.
Our sterile, single-use lancets also carry an expiration date to guarantee sterility and safe use up to that time.
