Even if you're lactose-intolerant, you may be able to enjoy dairy products by choosing those low in lactose. Dairy foods that are fermented, such as yogurt and cheese, contain less lactose than fresh foods, such as milk and ice cream. You can also buy reduced-lactose or lactose-free milk and other specially formulated dairy products.
Definition
Lactose is a natural sugar in milk and other dairy products. When your body produces less lactase, the enzyme that digests this sugar, you may show symptoms of lactose intolerance, such as constipation, diarrhea and bloating. Most people with lactose intolerance can eat some lactose, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The amount varies from person to person. While avoiding dairy is the surest way to avoid lactose, dairy products supply much of the calcium and vitamin D in Western diets.
Prevalence
While dairy foods such as milk and the products made from it contain lactose, it can be found elsewhere as well. The NDDIC cautions that manufacturers often add milk and other dairy-based ingredients to foods such as baked goods, instant potatoes, some processed meats, some "nondairy" creamers and even some medicines.
Fermented Dairy Foods
Yogurt, kefir, cheese and other fermented dairy foods contain less lactose than fresh dairy foods because the bacteria used to make them produce lactase enzyme, which digests lactose. Check the label---some yogurts and other products have milk solids added to them, which can boost the lactose content. A cup of plain low-fat yogurt averages 5 g of lactose. A half-cup of sour cream or cottage cheese has 3 to 4 g of lactose. Fresh or lightly aged cheeses such as cream cheese contain 1 to 2 g lactose in an ounce. Hard cheeses are low in lactose, averaging about 1 g of lactose per ounce. The longer the cheese is aged, the less the lactose. A sharp cheddar aged for two years contains virtually no lactose.
Fresh Dairy Foods
Fresh dairy products contain the most lactose. Milk, whether full-fat, reduced-fat or nonfat, averages 11 to 12 g lactose per cup. So does ice cream. Because lactose is water-soluble, dairy foods that have a higher ratio of fat to water contain less lactose. So whipping cream has only about half the lactose of milk. Butter contains lactose, but since it's served in such small portions, the amount isn't likely to matter. A teaspoon of butter supplies only a trace of lactose.
Lactose-Reduced Dairy Products
Many supermarkets carry lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk and other dairy products. The amount of lactose in these products varies, so check the label.
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