Lactose intolerance, also known as lactase deficiency, is a common problem that occurs when the body cannot digest lactose, a natural sugar found in dairy products.
Lactose intolerance is generally not dangerous, but it can cause unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, cramps, bloating, and gas. It is more common in adults than in children, as children have more of the lactase enzyme to digest breast milk and are able to break the bond of the lactose molecule.
It is not easy to part ways with lactose!
In addition to dairy products and sweets, you need to keep an eye on foods containing hidden lactose as part of their ingredients, such as bread, baked goods, processed cereals, mashed potatoes, soups, creamy sauces, deli meats, dressings, pancakes, and mixes for making cookies and cakes.
In the past, people with this condition were prescribed a ban on consuming all dairy products. Today, most doctors instead advise keeping some cheese, yogurt, and even milk in a diet for lactose intolerance.
Besides not getting the body used to a complete absence of lactose, consuming small amounts of dairy products benefits the body with the intake of calcium and vitamin D, which are essential for having strong bones. Eliminating these products can therefore cause nutritional problems if measures are not taken to assimilate both nutrients in other ways—problems that can lead to the long-term onset of osteoporosis.
These strategies can help you manage milk in your diet:
- - Try dividing your daily intake of lactose into smaller portions and spacing them out throughout the day.
- - Drink a glass of milk with a meal. Solid food slows down stomach emptying and allows extra time for lactase to break down lactose.
- - Yogurt with live and active cultures has a low lactose content and may not cause you problems. The bacterial cultures in yogurt pre-digest the lactose, making it a suitable food for many people with lactose intolerance.
When planning a diet reduced in dairy foods due to lactose intolerance, you must seek a balance.
The more you eliminate products with lactose, the more necessary it is to add dairy-free foods rich in calcium and other nutrients. In adulthood, men and women should consume about 1,000 mg of calcium per day, reaching up to 1,200 mg after menopause (alas, we women are always at a disadvantage).
The best food choices to make up for the lack of milk include: spinach, salmon, sardines, calcium-fortified orange juice, broccoli, tuna, calcium-fortified soy milk, dark leafy greens, and almonds.
Some people may need to further reduce or completely eliminate dairy products, especially if discomfort and loose stools occur over a prolonged period of time.
Fortunately for them, the food market offers more and more products with low and very low lactose content. Beware, however: those who are highly intolerant will suffer consequences even with products that contain only 0.1% lactose relative to the total package. In this case, it is preferable to choose packages with a very low lactose content, meaning they contain less than 0.01% lactose.
"Traces of milk," what does it mean?
If you find this wording on the packaging of products you want to buy and you are highly intolerant, do not be alarmed! Manufacturers write this to protect themselves against potential consumer lawsuits.
If a customer were allergic to a substance and ended up in the hospital after eating a certain food, the producer would be in serious trouble if the substance had not been mentioned on the packaging. To avoid taking risks, the manufacturer adds the phrase "Traces of..." even if the recipe for the product in question does not actually involve the use of the incriminating element.
Often, in a production facility, different foods are made in close proximity to each other, and it can happen that some lactose molecules end up in our preferred lactose-free cake. It goes without saying, in this case, that the manufacturer will protect itself in the event of third-party damage by printing the aforementioned phrase.
Do you want to simplify your life? Then remember that there are lactase enzyme tablets that help digest lactose.
Add details... leave a comment below!