How should your diet be if you suffer from lactose intolerance?

If you have experienced intestinal discomfort after consuming dairy products, or if you are worried because you have heard that milk is bad for adults, the information in this article is perfect for you. Today we are going to discover how to deal with this condition and what diet you can follow if you have been diagnosed with lactose intolerance.

Where is lactose found and how can you decide what to eat?

If your lactose intolerance is related to issues geneticsSo unfortunately there is no cure for it. However, many times you will be able to control your symptoms by diet changes. Also, in most cases, people with intolerance can easily tolerate a small amount of lactose in their food.

This means that you only need to reduce your intake of dairy products and beverages that are high in lactose, such as milk and condensed milk. But hard cheeses in small quantities should not lead to unpleasant consequences, such as stomach pains.

Evaluate how your body reacts to yourself

But to get an idea of ​​how sensitive your body is to milk sugar, you’ll need to do the test individually. For example, some people can easily tolerate milk in coffee, but after having a cereal with a lot of milk, they will already feel bad. Some people can digest the milk contained in chocolate, while others cannot.

And in some dairy products, like yogurts, cheeses and cottage cheese, lactose levels can vary depending on the type and manufacturer. In this case, write a diary and conduct experiments It will help you decide what you can and cannot eat.

Introduce a new product in your diet and observe your condition and symptoms

In addition to milk and milk products, there are other foods that can sometimes contain lactose. These include prepared sauces and mayonnaise, cookies, chocolate, cakes, some types of bread, prepared pancake mixes, soups, and other instant foods. And also some semi-finished products such as ham and sausages.

Therefore, it is important for people with severe lactose intolerance to be vigilant about product composition so as not to overlook this ingredient.

How to replace foods with lactose?

Lactose substitutes can be found in many stores. For example, soy cheeses, oatmeal yogurts, vegetable milks: almond, coconut, rice, nut or oat milk. And all other products labeled lactose-free or suitable for vegans.

Lactose-free or low-lactose versions of regular milk and cheese are also emerging. In cafes and restaurants, you can always ask the waiter about the composition of the dishes, choose a lactose-free option or ask him to remove ingredients that do not suit you. And coffee shops often offer to add non-dairy milk instead of regular milk for an additional fee.

If you can’t reduce your lactose intake at all, doctors recommend taking supplements of lactase enzyme to help the body process milk sugar in the small intestine.

You might be interested in reading the article: how to get calcium without consuming milk.

Why can’t you completely give up dairy?

If a person restricts or completely avoids milk and dairy products, this can lead to a lack of calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium in the body. Calcium supports healthy bones and teeth, regulates muscle contractions (including heart rate), and blood clotting.

Calcium deficiency in childhood can lead to rickets and, in adulthood, osteoporosis and subsequent serious injuries, such as a hip fracture.

Therefore, it is worth discussing with your doctor the best way to replenish the amount of these vitamins and minerals in your diet. He may suggest eating more of certain alternative calcium foods, such as broccoli, soybeans, tofu, nuts, canned soft-bone fish, and other sources of calcium. Or I could also prescribe you calcium and vitamin D supplements.