It is becoming increasingly common for Swedes to seek help for stomach problems such as lactose intolerance, IBS and stress stomach.
However, Sofia Antonsson, dietitian, warns against self-diagnosing the ailments and instead seeking medical help to find out what problems you actually have.
– It may be that you do not get better by excluding what you think you are sensitive to and miss the actual problem, she says.
Many Swedes self-diagnose themselves as lactose intolerant, even though in several cases it may be related to other problems.
– It is common if you have stomach problems to try lactose-free products and continue with them even if it does not help, says dietician Sofia Antonsson.
She believes that it is such a small behavioral change that it is easy for many people to do as the availability of lactose-free products is large in Swedish grocery stores, but that many people who think they are lactose intolerant instead have other stomach problems, such as IBS.
– It is a diagnosis that is being talked about more and more people are seeking help for these problems. The stomach is more and more affected by our lifestyle. Stress, performance and mental well-being mean that more and more people seek help for stomach problems, says Sofia Antonsson.
Dietitian Sofia Antonsson.
Dietitian Sofia Antonsson.
Common misconception
In Sweden, it is estimated that only four percent of the population has lactose intolerance, which is significantly lower than in other parts of the world. Much suggests that it is due to the fact that the Nordic diets contain a higher amount of lactose and that our bodies have adapted to break down the substance.
Dietitian Sofia Antonsson believes that one can become lactose intolerant from eating and drinking lactose-free is a common misconception that in most cases is not true.
– There is only an increased risk of it if you have the gene for lactose intolerance, then you can speed up the development, says Sofia Antonsson.
The enzyme production of lactase, which breaks down lactose, is greatest in infants, whose bodies are adapted to break down breast milk. As a rule, the enzyme declines with age, but the body also adapts to how much lactose we ingest.
You should do that instead
In Norway, the substance carrageenan, an extract of red algae, which is found in both regular and lactose-free dairy products as a thickener, is prohibited for children under ten years of age. In Sweden, the EU guidelines, where the substance is not yet classified as harmful.
– There are very few people with IBS who react to carrageenan, so it is not something we recommend that you focus on excluding in the first place, says Sofia Antonsson.
Instead, she insists that a proper examination be carried out by a doctor instead of self-diagnosing.