Whether you're five or fifty, there's nothing like dipping a cookie into a tall, cool glass of milk. However, for more than one-third of all Americans (and 68 percent of the world's population!) who are lactose intolerant, drinking or eating dairy foods such as milk, ice cream, and cream cheese can cause gas, diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, and nausea, as well as sending them to the bathroom.
This is why: Lactose is a complex sugar found naturally in milk. "Lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestine does not produce enough lactase, which is the enzyme required to digest and break down lactose into the simpler sugars glucose and galactose," says Amy Chow, RD, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Langley City, British Columbia, who works with children and adults with food allergies and intolerances. Lactose intolerance may run in families and is more prevalent among Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic/Latinx people, and Indigenous people.
Lactose-intolerant people may now pick from a wide range of milk substitutes, including oat, almond, soy, and coconut milk, thanks to the significant growth in the market for plant-based milks (plus frozen desserts made from all of the above). However, there are certain advantages to drinking cow's milk, according to Chow. "The nutritional profile of milk replacements might vary greatly," she explains. “Almond milk, for example, generally contains 1 gramme of protein vs 8 gramme of protein in cow's milk.”
Commonly Asked Questions:-
Which Foods are free of lactose naturally?
In supermarkets, one might find a variety of foods and drinks which are naturally lactose-free and will replace the milk and other dairy products that lactose intolerants might avoid. Soya yogurts and any coconut-based yogurts are free from lactose. If you always have cereal during your breakfast then rice milk or oat milk is a viable and healthy option instead of dairy foods. A sweet tooth person cannot give up chocolates and sweets, so carob bars are a very good alternative. They are sugar-free and are made with raw cocoa butter which gives a chocolatey flavor. Carob bars have zero lactose content as its caffeine-free and free from any oil and cane sugar.
Can lactose intolerance be reversed?
Sadly one cannot reverse lactose intolerance, but the effects can be controlled by making changes in ones eating habits and by using lactase tablets and different lactase drops. So the best way of treatment is to adjust your diet. The first thing is completely cut down on dairy products and find reasonable and beneficial alternatives. Products have now been more advanced, things that are labeled as “for lactose intolerant ” or “low lactose content” should be purchased in more quantity. If one is taking tablets of lactase enzyme, then one tablet before every meal and not more than that, and the meals should be not too much heavy.
Does the egg contain lactose?
Sometimes we can make a mistake by grouping eggs and dairy together. But for lactose-intolerant people, it is important to have a clear distinction between them. Simply saying,
Eggs are not a dairy product. The definition states foods that are produced from milk from mammals like cows and goats are dairy products. On the other hand, eggs are laid by birds which generally don’t fall under the mammalian group. The most nutritious food one can have are eggs as they are lower in calories and it aids in weight loss. So it is safe to say that eggs are completely lactose-free as it is not related to dairy foods and are highly beneficial to have with your everyday meals.
There are various delightful dairy foods that originate from a cow — and have the same nutrient profile as conventional milk — but mysteriously have the lactose eliminated for the estimated 50 million Americans who can't take dairy (or try an all-new strategy for making the milk easier to digest). Here are a handful of my favourites dairy foods that are low in lactosein lactose:
Dairy Foods Low in Lactosein lactose
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1. Ultra-pasteurized Whole Vitamin D
Lactase is added to most cow milks sold to lactose-intolerant people to help break down the difficult-to-digest sugar. A new form of milk, on the other hand, is adopting a different approach. The creators of a2 Milk believe that gut difficulties are caused by a protein called A1, which is a genetic abnormality that propagated across dairy animals 8,000 years ago. A2 utilises milk from cows that solely produce the A2 protein, which is simpler to digest. It tastes clean and fresh without the added sweetness of lactose-free milks, according to our tasters.
2. Cookie Dough with Chocolate Chips
Beckon claims to be the first premium-style lactose-free ice cream on the market, with flavours including Peanut Butter Cup, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mint Chip, and Espresso – and it tastes just as creamy and delectable as other high-end pints. Beckon is made with all-natural components such hormone-free milk and cream, egg yolks, and pure cane sugar, as well as lactase.
Check also: 52 Best Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
3. Vanilla Ice Cream without Lactose
You may get a box of Breyers Lactose-Free Ice Cream in Vanilla or Chocolate for your good old-fashioned, affordable supermarket-brand ice cream. When you want to prepare a stomach-friendly milkshake, this is the recipe to use.
4. 2% Lactose-Free Milk
Lactaid, the iconic lactose-free milk brand, was created in the 1970s by a third-generation dairyman who recognised that adding lactase to his family's milk would allow more people to enjoy it. The firm currently sells nine different types of milk, as well as ice cream, cottage cheese, and even eggnog. Lactaid has a somewhat sweeter flavour than conventional milk because the lactose has already been broken down into simpler sugars.
5. Sweet Cream
Fairlife makes lactose-free milk, ice cream, and real-dairy creamer using this ultra-filtering method.
6. Lactose-Free Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the dairy products that has a naturally reduced lactose content, making it simpler to digest even for lactose-intolerant people. Try GoodBelly's yoghurt, which is filled with gut-healthy bacteria and protein, for a lactose-free version of the fruity snack.
read also: TIPS FOR GOING VEGAN
7. Lactose-Free Cottage Cheese, Organic
To make tummy-friendly organic cottage cheese, cream cheese, yoghurt, butter, and sour cream, Green Valley adds lactase to all dairy products manufactured at its California creamery.
8. Butter
Who would have known that the most high-fat dairy product is low in lactose. Butter is made by churning cream and milk, and then the liquid part and solid fat are separated. As the liquid part of milk contains all the lactose, that’s why butter is low in lactose. So a 100 grams of butter the lactose content is only 0.1gms. If one would want a lesser content of lactose, then butter which is made from fermented milk products or even clarified butter has 0.23% of lactose. So it is safe to include butter in the diet plan if you have lactose intolerance.
9. Kefir
A fermented beverage that is made with “kefir grains” and animal milk. It has a similar mechanism to yogurt, the live cultured bacteria in kefir breaks down and then digests the lactose in milk. So this product benefits lactose intolerant people more if it is moderately consumed. A study found that kefir can reduce the risk of lactose intolerance by 54-71%.
10. Probiotic Yogurt
It is found that lactose intolerants find yogurt easier to digest than milk, as yogurt has live bacteria which break down lactose, so there’s nothing too much to digest yourself. So when buying yogurt it is best to look at yogurts labeled probiotic, meaning they contain live cultured bacteria. Pasteurized yogurt may not be tolerated, as the bacteria are killed in the production process. Greek-style yogurt is a better option as they are full-fat and strained yogurt. These yogurts have even lesser lactose content as they are strained during processing.
11. Sherbert
Have a bad craving for having ice cream during dessert? Now no need to worry you can substitute sherbert in your lactose-free diet. It does contain dairy, but it has low lactose content. One cup consists of 2-3 grams of lactose. Any kind of sherbert will have a lighter and fruitier taste. A more fascinating thing is that sherbert uses citric acid which gives it more of a tart taste. Sherbert has very less calorie content, so you don’t need to even worry about weight gain.
12. Aged Parmesan Cheese
Aged Parmesan Cheese also known as “Parmigiano Reggiano” is naturally lactose-free because of the traditional manufacturing process. The absence of lactose is pretty high,0.01 gms in 100gms of cheese. In the production process, the lactose is fermented by microflora of lactic acid bacteria for the first 48 hours of production. This cheese is a good source of protein and fat. It’s highly recommended to substitute your normal cheese with Parmigiano Reggiano of its unique taste and healthy concentration of proteins and minerals, making it suitable for all ages and all uses.
