Does your stomach hurt if you eat a tiny bit of cheese or ice cream? If so, you probably came to the conclusion that you are intolerant to lactose – the sugar in dairy products. However, even if you have accurately diagnosed yourself, there’s no need to completely toss dairy products out in favor of dairy alternatives.
A well written post by Judith Jarvis clears up some of the confusion on lactose intolerance. Jarvis discusses the results from a new study on the self-reported prevalence of lactose intolerance. Unlike previous erroneous reports indicating that most people can’t digest lactose (because they lack the enzyme lactase), this survey conducted in a nationally representative sample of people found that just 12% of people consider themselves lactose intolerant.
Even if you are among that 12% though, I’m willing to bet you can handle dairy foods. Studies show that people with true lactose intolerance can handle dairy foods better than milk because yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese contain less than half the amount of lactose, per serving, as milk. Another trick of the trade is to consume some dairy frequently. If you cut out all dairy and then sit down to cheese and crackers, your stomach might rebel. However, if you keep dairy in your diet, you’ll be able to enjoy it in moderate quantities.
