The Nutritional Toll of Lactose Intolerance You Might Not Know

Did you know that up to 70 percent of the world’s population are estimated to struggle with a reduced ability to digest lactose?⁵

Lactose is the main sugar in milk and dairy products, and lactose intolerance is caused by insufficient lactase (an enzyme that breaks down lactose) in the small intestine. What this means is that when milk products are consumed, the lactose can ferment in the colon before it is absorbed, which then leads to unpleasant side effects. These symptoms often involve bloating, loose stools, stomach pain, and wind. 

 

The broader nutritional impact

But beyond just problems with digestion, lactose-intolerant individuals can be more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies than their dairy-consuming counterparts.¹

In order to prevent or manage the immediate symptoms, often our first treatment strategy for lactose intolerance is to either:

1. Reduce dairy intake
2. Avoid milk products altogether

The bloating and cramps may be alleviated, but this opens the door for a major nutritional gap. 

What the science is saying

We know that cow’s milk is a major source of micronutrients. So much so, that a study found dairy products contributed on average 26% of people’s daily riboflavin, 16% of their vitamin A, 20% of their vitamin B12, and 16% of their zinc.¹ When a person can no longer consume these products, especially growing children for whom such nutrients are essential to support healthy development, it can result in inadequate vitamin intake. Though lactose intolerance itself cannot cause such deficiencies, the resultant avoidance of milk products may lead to unintended dietary consequences.

How can Mighty Kids help?

Compare those nutritional estimates from dairy with what just one, daily dose of the Mighty Kids Multivitamin provides:

Consuming Dairy Products:

Vitamin A – 16%

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) – 26% 

Vitamin B12 – 20%

Zinc – 16%               

One Dose of the Mighty Kids Multivitamin:

Vitamin A – 53%

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) – 321% 

Vitamin B12 – 120% 

Zinc – 90%

These percentages are measures of the nutrient reference value (NRV). This is the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to meet the daily requirements of most healthy people. See the explanatory article here to find out more about making sense of nutrition guidelines.

Notice how each nutrient is significantly more abundant in the multivitamin, making it not only an ideal "all-in-one" supplement for day-to-day use, but also highlighting how it can help close the nutritional gap in cases where lactose cannot, for whatever reason, be consumed. 

Furthermore, even though some of these multivitamin values are below 100%, the liquid liposomal delivery that makes Mighty Kids so unique has a statistically significant higher bioavailability and absorption rate than standard supplements. This means that any percentage of your daily intake in a Mighty Kids supplement is far more impactful than the same percentage in foods or standard, non-liposomal supplements, such as capsules or pills. Importantly, even figures like the riboflavin, at 321%, are well below the safe upper limit; our multivitamin provides nutrients at very safe, yet very effective doses for everyday use. 

To find out more about this, and what makes our encapsulation technology so advanced, see this blog post: The fascinating world of liposomal supplements

What happens if these nutritional needs aren't met?

The good news is, you don’t need to consume dairy in order to get the recommended intake of these vital vitamins, especially with the extra nutritional boost of Mighty Kids Supplements' all-natural, sugar-free and vegan support. 

In addition to the nutrients discussed above, lactose intolerance may contribute to insufficient vitamin D and calcium intake. Both play central roles in supporting the healthy development of strong bones and teeth, and not meeting these daily needs can increase the risk of:

• Rickets
• Osteoporosis
• Other bone mineral density issues

Reducing and preventing these risks

Mighty Kids supplements do not contain calcium as this can be a common culprit of digestive side effects in multivitamins, and our products have been designed first and foremost to be both gentle and effective on children's tummies. 

However, vitamin D is essential in helping the body to absorb calcium.

For groups where dietary intake of calcium is restricted, vitamin D supplementation is often recommended as it allows the body to maintain calcium homeostasis.² More simply put, vitamin D allows the body to maximise the absorption and effect of the calcium it does receive, which is especially important in lactose intolerant individuals, where intake might be lower.

The Mighty Kids Vitamin D3 and K2 contains all of the vitamin D needed to aid healthy bone development, working in a dream team with vitamin K2. 

Whilst D3 helps with calcium absorption and bone health, the addition of K2 directs this calcium to all the right places, like bones and teeth, while preventing it from accumulating in the wrong ones, like arteries and soft tissues. Suitable for children as young as 12 months, it is designed for little ones and parents alike, making it the ideal support for the whole family. 

Lactose intolerance doesn't have to be a worry when you can be reassured that your child's body has all the nutritional tools it needs to function at its best.

For the sciencey people

The importance of riboflavin

• Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is a water-soluble vitamin that the body converts into two helper molecules, FMN and FAD. These molecules are needed for many basic processes by acting as co-enzymes and electron carriers: they support the body's metabolism and allow other B-vitamins to be used properly, for example, by activating vitamin B6 and helping convert tryptophan into niacin.⁴

More on why we need vitamin D 

How the calcium homeostasis mentioned above works: Vitamin D binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in enterocytes, which enhances the expression of calcium transport proteins (TRPV6, calbindin). 

Furthermore:

• Vitamin D has been associated with increased intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption, which is critical for bone mineralization.²
• It has also been shown to support osteoblast and osteoclast function, maintaining bone remodelling and density.³ Bone remodelling is the continuous process of breaking down old bone and rebuilding new bone, reducing the risk of fractures and supporting overall, long-term skeletal health.

References

1. Facioni, M. S., Raspini, B., Pivari, F., Dogliotti, E., & Cena, H. (2020). Nutritional management of lactose intolerance: the importance of diet and food labelling. Journal of translational medicine, 18(1), 260. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02429-2
2. Fleet J. C. (2022). Vitamin D-Mediated Regulation of Intestinal Calcium Absorption. Nutrients, 14(16), 3351. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163351
3. Xue, Y., & Fleet, J. C. (2009). Intestinal vitamin D receptor is required for normal calcium and bone metabolism in mice. Gastroenterology, 136(4), 1317–e2. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2008.12.051
4. Mosegaard, S., Dipace, G., Bross, P., Carlsen, J., Gregersen, N., & Olsen, R. K. J. (2020). Riboflavin Deficiency-Implications for General Human Health and Inborn Errors of Metabolism. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(11), 3847. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21113847
5. National Institutes of Health. (2018). Lactose intolerance. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532285/