Dani is a writer and PhD student with a special interest in health, nutrition and travel. She’s currently based in India, where she’s learning Ashtanga yoga and the secrets of South Indian cooking.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance are not pleasant.
Painful bloating, smelly gas, and diarrhoea – nobody wants to be that guest at the dinner party.
For most sufferers, it takes a little while to work out what the problem is down there. That’s because people aren’t usually born lactose intolerant, it’s something they slowly become in adulthood.
So let me explain the science behind Lactose Intolerance…
Dairy products contain a type of sugar called lactose. All mammals (apart from in rare cases) are born with the ability to produce an enzyme called lactase, which enables the digestion of lactose.
And the body gradually switches this enzyme off after weaning, because normally mammals would have no more need of it.
However, around 7000 years ago humans in Northern Europe began to exhibit a genetic mutation allowing them to digest lactose – an example of natural selection that allowed them to continue to drink milk and eat dairy into adulthood.
These days, according to the US National Library of Medicine, an estimated 65% of the population are thought to suffer from lactose intolerance. It’s especially common among those of East Asian descent, affecting more than 90%. People of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent also show high levels of lactose intolerance. Some adults also suffer from secondary lactose intolerance (sometimes temporarily), meaning it is a symptom caused by another disease, disorder or medication.
If you think you’re lactose intolerant, it’s important to get a diagnosis, as you need to make sure your symptoms aren’t an aspect of another more serious illness, such as Crohn’s disease.
Besides, who wants to cut out dairy unnecessarily?
There are a few tests that can lead to a diagnosis. The most commonly used is the elimination diet. Cut out dairy for a minimum of two weeks and see if symptoms persist. If they disappear then you’ve found your culprit.
For most people, including myself, a diagnosis of lactose intolerance is a bit of a blow. No more cheesy pizza, no more ice cream or milkshakes or lasagne…the list goes on.
The good news is that while lactose intolerance can’t be cured, it can be managed.
There are a few ways of doing this.
Brutal Mode
Cut all dairy out of your diet.
Thankfully, it’s becoming increasingly easy to do this. There are lots of non-dairy alternatives available in supermarkets, such as nut milks and soya yoghurts. Hazelnut milk in coffee is one of my favourites.
There are also lots of vegan and dairy-free food blogs with great free recipes available online. A lot of Japanese, Thai, Korean and Chinese recipes are dairy-free too. I’ve been eating a lot more Asian food since I was diagnosed.
Swiss Mode
I call this “Swiss mode” because it’s a neutral, in-between type way of managing lactose intolerance.
It involves reducing consumption of dairy products.
Not all dairy contains the same amount of lactose: some cheeses contain only trace elements.
This is because most lactose is found in milk whey, whereas cheese is made from the curds. Bacteria in the cheese also slowly breaks down any leftover lactose, so the more a cheese has aged the less lactose it contains. Hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Parmesan are low lactose, as are Swiss cheeses such as Gruyere and Emmental.
Many people with lactose intolerance are also able to eat probiotic yoghurt in moderation, as it contains bacteria that aid digestion and the breaking down of lactose.
There are also a limited amount of “lactofree” products available. This, however, is a misnomer. These products have had lactase added to them, rather than having lactose removed, and the dosage it contains might not be enough for severe sufferers.
People living in rural areas might also struggle to find a shop stocking these products.
Have your cake and eat it too” Mode
Sometimes eliminating or cutting down on dairy can be very difficult. Some people might be unwilling to deny themselves that weekly Domino’s. Other people might not want to impose their diet onto their family, especially those with growing children.
Luckily, there is a way to literally have your cake and eat it too.
As I said, to digest lactose you need to produce an enzyme called lactase. Companies are now selling lactase enzyme in drop, capsule and pill format, so you can eat it alongside dairy to aid digestion.
My Favourite Lactase Supplement
My favourites are Holland & Barrett’s Super Lactase Enzyme soft-gel capsules. There’s a few reasons why.
First, Holland & Barrett have a long history of reliability in terms of vitamins and supplements.
Second, the gel capsules are made without any extra additives or preservatives, which is only a good thing (they do, however, contain traces of wheat, so are unsuitable for people with celiac disease).
Third, the pills are very reasonably priced compared to other alternatives on the market.
Editor’s note. While Dani recommends the above capsules, if you’d find it easier to use Amazon, we’ve found a very similar product that’s highly recommended on Amazon too. Just click the link below to check it out.
The Super Lactase Enzyme capsules are easy to use – one must be taken just before eating any dairy products. There aren’t any instructions about how long the pill is effective for, as this is dependent both on the individual sufferer and the amount of dairy they are eating.
From my personal experience, however, I end up taking one pill per course, or helping, as there’s often a break between them.
Hey presto – now you can eat ice cream and cheese to your heart’s content!
