Lactose Intolerence

Lactose intolerence is, as you might guess, the condition of been intolerant to lactose. Lactose is a type of sugar which is found originally in milk produce. Any natural and untreated form of milk whether it is from a cow, goat, or human or any other animal contains lactose.

Also as so many foods contain milk as an ingredient, many people find themselves having symptoms of lactose intolerence without actually realising why.

Some of the most obvious (and not so obvious) foods which often contain lactose are:

• Milk
• Cheese
• Butter
• Margarine
• Yogurt
• Ice Cream
• Cream
• Sweets / Candy
• Chocolate
• Toffee
• Cereal
• Bread
• Instant Mash Potato
• Canned Soup

And there are many more foods out there which contain lactose. As you can see, given so many foods contain lactose it can often be a difficult task to avoid lactose.

A good starting point to curbing your symptoms of lactose intolerence is always to start with the biggest culprit, this being milk. You can try swapping your regular variety of milk for one which is lactose-free or reduced-lactose. It may take a while to find out which is the best variety but they do exist, so don't try one brand which may be ineffective and give in. Many brands however tout themselves as being friendly products for the lactose intolerant but are marginally better than the regular products, if at all, so some perseverance may be required.

It should also be mentioned that lactose may still be present within your system for a while after you stop drinking regular milk, so symptoms may take a while to subside, therefore your new lactose-free milk may not be to blame for causing symptoms after all.

To cut milk out of your diet altogether can deprive you of important nutrients and may lead to calcium and protein deficiency, which can lead to other health complications