Good bacteria may not be enough

Prebiotics, like inulin, are foods or nutrients that are used by specific bacteria to grow and thrive. It is a non-digestible food ingredient that benefits the host by selectively stimulating the growth and activity of health-promoting bacteria, such as bifidobacteria in the colon, over undesirable microorganisms.

Bifidobacteria suppresses harmful bacteria growth and may boost the body’s immune system. But while these "friendly" bacteria promote better digestion, it is not necessarily the solution to the tummy problems of kids with lactose intolerance.

Common symptoms of lactose intolerance include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea, which begin about 30 minutes to two hours after eating dairy food or drinking milk. Unfortunately, eliminating "bad" bacteria may not be the answer to avoiding these symptoms if your child cannot tolerate lactose.

Lactose, the predominant sugar of milk, is found in all dairy products. The lactose-intolerant individual leaves a significant amount of lactose undigested. This inability results from a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down milk sugar into simpler forms that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. When there is not enough lactase to digest the amount of lactose consumed, the result can be very distressing.

Certain ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected than others. In the Philippines, studies have shown that up to 50 percent of Filipinos are lactose-intolerant.

Fortunately, lactose intolerance is relatively easy to manage. Although no treatment exists to improve the body’s ability to produce lactase, symptoms can be controlled through diet.

Mead Johnson’s Lactofree milk formulas with prebiotics are the innovative solutions to the nutrition needs of lactose-intolerant children. These formulations contain glucose polymers for easier digestion, the prebiotic inulin, and all the vitamins and minerals of regular formulas plus DHA, an important brain-building ingredient.

Mead Johnson’s Lactofree line helps the good bacteria in a child’s body while preventing the distressing symptoms of lactose intolerance.