Lactose Intolerance

By Hannah Rand

If you regularly experience bloating, diarrhoea or other unpleasant digestive symptoms, you might be lactose intolerant. Read on to find out what causes this uncomfortable condition, and get advice and recipe ideas to help you go dairy-free.

What is Lactose Intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, which is a type of sugar found in dairy products. Lactose is also used in some breakfast cereals, biscuits and chocolate as a sweetener - check the food labels if you are not sure.

Lactose intolerance (or dairy intolerance) is caused by the small intestine's inability to produce an enzyme (lactase) needed to break down dairy sugars - this enzyme is what enables babies to digest breast milk. It is thought that we produce less lactase as we get older, so lactose intolerance is more prevalent in older people.

It's very common, affecting around 5% of adults in Britain. It's more common among certain ethnicities, especially those who don't traditionally have milk as part of their diet (visit the NHS for more information).

It can also develop through Crohn's Disease or Colitis, or after a stomach bug or illness where the lining of the intestine has been attacked by bacteria.

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance isn't dangerous, but it can be very uncomfortable. If you experience any of the following after you've consumed dairy products, you might be lactose intolerant:

Abdominal bloating
Abdominal cramps
Diarrhoea
Gas
Nausea

These symptoms can easily be confused with Irritable Bowel Syndrome so it's worth paying attention to whether milk and dairy products have caused the symptoms to flare up, rather than other foods.

Lactose Intolerant Diet

Avoiding dairy products is the key to improving your health if you are lactose intolerant.

Non-lactose sources of calcium include: orange juice, sardines with the bones, fortified soy milk, broccoli, canned tuna and lettuce. Check out 4Food's dairy-free recipes for tasty and nutritious meal ideas that avoid dairy products.

Cheese and yoghurt can often be tolerated by those with this problem and are a good source of calcium, so don't eliminate them from your diet altogether unless you are sure they are causing problems.

You might also be able to eat plain, low-fat yoghurt (which has the advantage of acidophilus and other 'good' bacteria to keep your gut healthy), reduced-fat milk, hard Swiss cheese, ice cream and cottage cheese.

If you cannot tolerate any form of lactose in your diet, it's important that you speak to your doctor about taking a lactase enzyme in liquid or tablet form.

Are you lactose-intolerant? Share your favourite lactose-free recipe or best health tip in the comments below.