Lactose intolerance has existed for as long as humans have existed. Due to the ubiquity of dairy products in our society, it seems to have been forgotten. Find out here how a lactose intolerant diet is still possible.
The most important facts at a glance:
- Lactose intolerance means that milk sugar cannot be metabolised correctly by the body.
- Lactose is contained in all animal milk and in many processed foods made from it - such as yoghurt or soft cheese.
- The majority of the world's adult population is lactose intolerant, only people in Central Europe have developed a tolerance over time.1
- Even people who are not affected by lactose intolerance can eat dairy products without any problems.
- Plant drinks are an ideal lactose-free alternative to conventional milk.
The right nutrition for lactose intolerance is not always so easy to implement in everyday life. Especially with processed foods, the question of lactose content often cannot be answered immediately.
This article provides clarity and answers all your unanswered questions about lactose intolerance and how difficult or easy it actually is with the diet.
How lactose intolerance is diagnosed
In the vast majority of cases, those affected realise on their own whether they are lactose intolerant. They always suffer from the symptoms described after eating foods containing lactose or do not get them if no dairy products are consumed.
In these cases, lactose intolerance can be strongly assumed and the diet should be adjusted accordingly.
To be absolutely sure, a medical test - a so-called "oral lactose tolerance test" - can be carried out. This involves swallowing 50 g of pure lactose and then measuring the hydrogen content in the breath and the rise in blood glucose levels.
If the lactose is not already broken down by lactase in the small intestine, it reaches the large intestine where it is metabolised by bacteria. Hydrogen is released during this process.
If the hydrogen content in the breath rises above 20 ppm, but the blood sugar level remains below 20 mg/dl, we can speak of lactose intolerance.
Common lactose intolerance has nothing to do with an allergy. Allergies are reactions of the immune system to foreign or potentially dangerous substances.
How can you eat with lactose intolerance?
A lactose-free diet excludes all dairy products in which lactose is still present. This includes in particular milk (whether cow's milk, goat's milk or from other animals), yoghurt and some types of cheese.
Hard cheese and butter only contain very small amounts of lactose, which is why they are tolerated by intolerant people.[<[sup>2
All other foods - animal or plant-based - are not suitable for the 3
A study from 2017, in which over 1900 women were examined, indicates that the consumption of certain dairy products can significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer.[<[sup>4
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 3 servings (e.g. 3 glasses of milk) of dairy products per day.5 However, this does not automatically mean that you are at a disadvantage if you follow a lactose-free diet or that a diet without dairy products is unhealthy.
But remember that these authorities must always take into account the needs of the dairy industry on the one hand and the dairy farmers on the other. Many jobs depend on milk as an end product and no longer recommending dairy products would be a major blow to society and the economy.
List of lactose-free foods
The following list will give you a better overview of what you can still eat if you are lactose intolerant:
- Bread and baked goods
It doesn't matter whether they are gluten-containing cereals or not. As long as no dairy products have been processed in it, it cannot contain lactose. - Fruit and vegetables
All purely plant-based foods are naturally lactose-free. However, for processed ready meals with fruit or vegetables, we recommend taking a close look at the ingredients. - Eggs
Chicken eggs, just like eggs from other animals, do not contain lactose. Some breakfast cafés stir cream into their scrambled eggs, which means they are no longer lactose-free. However, this must be labelled on the menu so that there is no risk for lactose-intolerant guests. - Meat and fish
Meat, fish and poultry are always lactose-free in their raw form and are completely safe to eat if you are intolerant. This can no longer be guaranteed for processed sausage products and baked meat with breading - although the lactose content is usually very low in these cases. - Drinks
From juices and tea to coffee, you can consume everything despite being lactose intolerant. Milk (also in tea or coffee) and buttermilk clearly make no sense unless they are lactose-free. - Wine and beer
Wine and beer can be consumed safely. - Alcoholic drinks
Other alcoholic drinks (such as vodka or schnapps) also contain no lactose. The situation is different with mixed cocktails that contain cream or similar dairy products according to the recipe - Piña Colada would be a classic example of this.
As a rule, it is not too difficult to separate foods containing lactose from lactose-free food. Let's remember that lactose is the "milk sugar". This means that anything that does not contain milk or dairy products can be eaten without worry.
Processed dairy products such as butter, clarified butter or ghee are a little tricky. These foods contain little to no lactose, which is why they can usually still be eaten by lactose intolerant people without causing discomfort.
The plant-based alternative to butter is margarine. This is always lactose-free, but as butter is also unproblematic, you have a free choice here.
Alternative to milk
If you don't want to give up your muesli for breakfast or your daily cappuccino, you can use plant-based milk as an alternative. The best-known plant-based drinks are...
- Soy milk
- Almond milk
- Oat milk
- Rice milk
- Coconut milk
Depending on which flavour you prefer, one of these options is an ideal alternative to milk. There are now also plant-based yoghurts that are made from these plant-based drinks.
At Saturo, for example, we also use soya as the basis for our drinkable meals. So that they are also suitable for vegans without any problems.
Another reason why more and more people are favouring plant-based milk alternatives is that theyare much more climate-friendly. According to a 2017 study by Oatly, oat milk consumes 80% less greenhouse gases and 80% less land area than cow's milk.
In the case of soya milk, the cycle is even partially counterproductive. Soya beans are mainly grown to feed cattle. In other words, the cow must first be fed with a considerable amount of soya - which requires a lot of water - in order to produce milk.
For comparison: around 120 litres of water are used to produce one glass (250 ml) of cow's milk. With a glass of soya milk, it is only 5-10 litres.
We humans could easily save ourselves the diversions and thus the waste of resources if we were to consume plant-based milk from soya beans directly.
A nutrition plan can help
The right nutrition plan can help with lactose intolerance. With a clearly defined plan, it is almost impossible to eat the wrong foods.
As long as you stick to the foods on the list above, you are always on the safe side. It doesn't matter whether you combine the lactose-free diet with intermittent fasting, a gluten-free diet or other diets.
Many people who would like to try a lactose-free diet, even though they are not affected by an intolerance, only start on a daily basis. This has the great advantage that you can test how well or badly lactose-free foods affect your well-being.
By the way: If you opt for drinking meals from Saturo, you no longer have to worry about the right diet for lactose intolerance. Our drinks are purely plant-based and replace an entire meal - large or small.
Lactose-free dairy products
Many manufacturers of dairy products now also offer lactose-free versions of their foods. Lactose-free milk and lactose-free yoghurt are among the best-known products.
At this point, the question arises as to how lactose-free milk is produced
This is quickly explained: in order to obtain lactose-free milk, the enzyme lactase is added to the "normal" milk. This enzyme breaks down the lactose into two different simple sugars - glucose and galactose.
This process is virtually exactly what happens in the small intestine of lactose-tolerant people. Lactose-free milk therefore tastes slightly sweeter than conventional milk because the two simple sugars are sweeter than the lactose.
Other lactose-free dairy products such as yoghurt or various types of cheese are either made from this previously processed milk or the enzyme lactase is added during the production process.
Conclusion
A proper diet with lactose intolerance is not a major hurdle. As long as you remove all dairy products from your diet, you no longer have to worry about lactose intolerance.
Everyone can eat a lactose-free diet, regardless of whether they are lactose intolerant or not. The list of lactose-free foods contained in this article will help you to make the right choice and make it easier to change your diet.
If you suffer from lactose intolerance but don't want to give up animal milk, lactose-free dairy products will help you. Dairies are increasingly catering to the needs of consumers in order to enable a "normal" diet despite lactose intolerance.
However, plant-based alternatives such as soya milk or oat milk would be better for the climate.
Lactose-free drinkable food is an excellent alternative for meeting daily nutritional requirements without digestive discomfort. These specialised products are ideal to support a balanced diet while offering the flexibility to be enjoyed anytime, anywhere - without the need for cumbersome preparation.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions about lactose-free nutrition
What is lactose intolerance?
People with lactose intolerance cannot properly digest the milk sugar (lactose) contained in animal milk. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea or diarrhoea are often the result.
Where is lactose everywhere?
Lactose is contained in all animal milk. Lactose is also found in processed dairy products.
Lactose is contained in...
- Milk
- Buttermilk
- Yoghurt
- Cream
- Cream
- Fresh cheese
- Quark
- Soft cheese
- Mozzarella
- Créme fraiche
- Butter (only in small quantities)
- Kefir
What can you eat if you are lactose intolerant?
In principle, all foods that do not contain dairy products are safe.
This includes, for example:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Meat
- Fish
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
- Bread
- Beer
- Wine
- Coffee
- Tea
Which type of cheese is lactose-free?
Hard cheeses - such as Parmesan, Emmental or mountain cheese - hardly contain any lactose because most of the lactose is already broken down during processing. With soft cheeses, this is only the case if the enzyme lactase is added during processing.
Is bread allowed with lactose intolerance?
Yes, as long as there is no milk in the dough, bread is safe to eat. The situation is different for milk rolls and other baked goods that contain dairy products, which is why they should be enjoyed with caution.
How can lactose intolerance be diagnosed?
On the one hand, those affected notice themselves when the usual symptoms appear after consuming dairy products. Clinically, lactose intolerance can be detected with a "lactose load test". The patient has to swallow about 50 grams of lactose. If the hydrogen content in the breath rises above 20 ppm and the blood sugar level remains below 20 mg/dl, lactose intolerance is present.
What are the signs of lactose intolerance?
Typical symptoms of lactose intolerance are flatulence, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and nausea after consuming milk and dairy products. The symptoms usually occur 30 minutes to 2 hours after consumption, as the body is unable to digest the lactose properly. Tiredness, difficulty concentrating and a bloated stomach can also be signs of lactose intolerance.
What should you not eat if you are lactose intolerant?
If you are lactose intolerant, you should generally avoid foods containing lactose such as milk, cream, yoghurt, quark, soft cheese and ice cream. Many processed products such as ready meals, sauces, baked goods, chocolate and sausages can also contain hidden lactose - so always check the list of ingredients. Hard, long-ripened cheeses such as Parmesan, on the other hand, contain hardly any lactose and are often better tolerated.
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Sources
- MedlinePlus, Lactose intolerance. Retrieved 13 November 2020 from
- Verbraucherzentrale, Lactose-free food: Not for everyone. Retrieved 13 November 2020 from
- Feskanich, D., Bischoff-Ferrari, H.A., Frazier, A.L., & Willett, W.C. (2014) Milk consumption during teenage years and risk of hip fractures in older adults. JAMA Pediatr. 168(1):54-60.
- McCann, S.E., Hays, J., Baumgart, C.W., Weiss, E.H., Yao, S., & Ambrosone, C.B. (2017) Usual Consumption of Specific Dairy Foods Is Associated with Breast Cancer in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Data Bank and BioRepository. Curr Dev Nutr. 1(3):e000422.
- USDA, All about the dairy group. Retrieved 13 November 2020 from
- Oatly, Sustainability Report 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2020 from
- TED-Ed (20.10.2020) Which type of milk is best for you? - Jonathan J. O'Sullivan & Grace E. Cunningham. Retrieved 13 November from
