Lactose intolerance: the right diet

How much lactose people with lactose intolerance can tolerate varies from person to person. However, most people can consume small amounts of lactose without or with minimal discomfort, especially when combined with other foods. This is because solid or fatty foods slow down digestion in the stomach, which means that less lactose enters the intestine at the same time and it reacts less sensitively.

It is therefore often sufficient to replace foods with a high lactose content, such as milk and yogurt, with foods with less lactose, such as fermented milk products or low-lactose cheeses. Or you can opt for lactose-free or vegan alternatives.

With a few small changes to your own consumption habits, dairy products can be easily avoided these days. However, they are an important source of calcium. People with lactose intolerance should therefore pay particular attention to consuming other foods and drinks that are rich in calcium - for example broccoli, fennel and spinach or berries, kiwi and figs.

In addition, caution is still required with processed foods, as the lactose content is often not clearly visible. It is always worth taking a look at the ingredients or the corresponding labeling.

 

What does “lactose-free” mean on our food?

More and more products can be found in stores that advertise that they are lactose-free. The concept of lactose-free products is ideal for people with lactose intolerance. But do the products actually deliver what they promise? Is there no lactose left in the products? These are both legitimate questions that consumers ask themselves.

 

Because lactose intolerance is not classified as an allergy, the FDA does not define "lactose-free." However, manufacturers are required to provide a truthful and not misleading labeling as well as accurate ingredient information. If a product contains lactose, it must be disclosed on the label. Moreover the FDA specifies that lactose-free products should contain no lactose, while products with reduced lactose must be labeled as such, rather than as lactose-free.

Another problem with lactose in food is that consumers often do not know if a product contains lactose. Although there is an indication that a product is lactose-free, there is no clear indication of when a product contains certain amounts of lactose or how large these amounts are. For people with lactose intolerance, however, such an indication would certainly be helpful. This would prevent those affected from experiencing undesirable side effects later on.

  

References:

• https://www.dairyreporter.com/Article/2024/09/05/Lactose-free-label-claims-and-standards-in-the-US-EU-UK
• https://www.sheetlabels.com/blog/3-things-to-know-about-labeling-lactose-free-products#:~:text=Lactose%2DFree%20FDA%20Labels,-Since%20lactose%20intolerance&text=According%20to%20the%20FDA%2C%20lactose,protein%20will%20still%20be%20present.