Going on a lactose fast is the only way to cure or treat lactose intolerance. But some people do it the other way too. Lactose intolerance, if not severe, can be treated with low-lactose foods or lactaid drops or lactose-free milk and milk products. Before you go on a complete lactose-free diet plan, you need to know the pros and cons of such a plan and then stick to it. This is because, a lactose-free plan is devoid of essential nutrients like calcium, riboflavin and vitamin D (which your body needs the most for proper functioning).
Nutritional Facts about lactose-free diet: When there is insufficient production of lactase enzyme, the undigested lactose passes from the small intestine to the large bowel or colon with extra fluids. The colon bacteria react with the lactose and produce lactic acid and some gases. Lactic acid is naturally an irritant and laxative which causes symptoms like bloating, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, diarrhea and flatus. Lactase activity can be reduced on account of a variety of reasons – it can be genetic; it can be because of an intestinal disorder like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease; it can occur in people who are extremely alcoholic or take certain drugs for a prolonged period; and it can also occur in individuals who have undergone surgery in the stomach or the intestine. Though lactose intolerance does nothing critical, it is very uncomfortable to deal with, resulting in improper nutrition to the body.
Dairy products are the major source of lactose. Depending on your lactose tolerance levels, the physician may recommend two kinds of diet plans – completely lactose free diet or low-lactose diet. Tolerance of lactose is variable – while some people can take milk and milk products to a limited extent, others need to shun lactose completely. Below facts about lactose foods will help you determine your diet:
1. Low-lactose diet: Eliminates only milk and milk products like butter, cheese, curd, whey etc. If you can tolerate small amounts of lactose, you can try taking about 2 oz of milk daily or increase your milk content or lactose food content gradually. This can improve your lactase production too.
2. Lactose-free diet: It is a diet which eliminates all lactose content – including elimination of foods like breads, grains, salad dressings etc. which have milk in them. Most people who adopt to this diet need to substitute something for lack of milk in their diet. These substitutes can be natural milk from soy, oats or rice or commercially packaged lactose-free milk products.
3. Lactase Digestive Aids: Another way to treat lactose intolerance is to use lactase aids. These aids help you break lactose in milk partially or completely. Lactaid milk is one of this kind.
4. Lactaid Milk: It is a non-fat or 1% low fat milk where about 70% of lactose is reduced. Some varieties of lactaid milk is non-fat, calcium-fortified with 500 mg of calcium per cup. Another variety is 100% lactose free without any other additives.
5. Lactaid Drops/Capsules: Lactaid Drops are added to milk. 5 to 10 or 15 drops per quart of milk reduces the lactose content by 70% to 90%. Lactaid Capsules can be chewed or swallowed before consumption of lactose products to aid in digestion.
6. Dairy Ease Milk: Available as non-fat, 2% low-fat milk, it is free of 70% of its lactose content. Similar products are too available.
7. Soy products: Soy milk and soy products are another way of supplementing nutrition to your body, without lactose intolerance symptoms. Calcium-fortified soy milk has no lactose, is low in fat and has a good ratio of vitamins.
