Feta cheese is considered a medium-lactose food, according to the BC Cancer Agency. Feta cheese may or may not cause symptoms if you're lactose intolerant -- it may depend on how much feta cheese you eat in one sitting. Your symptoms may also be dependent on the severity of your intolerance. Not everyone who is lactose intolerant can eat the same amount of lactose.
About Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance occurs when you're unable to fully digest lactose, a sugar found in milk. This happens because your body doesn't produce enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the lactose sugar into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. Most cases of lactose intolerance do not cause long-term medical complications, but the symptoms can be embarrassing and uncomfortable.
Eating Feta Cheese
Feta cheese contains a moderate amount of lactose, according to the BC Cancer Agency. You may be able to consume small amounts of it without any symptoms developing. If you are severely intolerant to lactose, you should avoid eating feta cheese until you can discuss it with your doctor. Feta cheese contains smaller amounts of lactose because the enzymes and mold in it help to eliminate some of the lactose from the cheese.
Exclusion Diet
To determine how much feta cheese you can consume without developing symptoms, you can perform an exclusion diet. Don't participate in any diet program without talking with your doctor first. Remove all lactose products from your diet for two weeks. After the two weeks are over, eat 1 oz. of feta cheese. The following day eat 2 oz. and so forth. Continue to add an ounce per day until you notice lactose intolerance symptoms. If you're able to eat three to four ounces without any symptoms you should stop the re-introduction process. Share your findings with your doctor to determine how much feta cheese you can consume in one sitting.
Eating Feta Cheese Without Symptoms
You may be able to find lactose-free feta cheese. Some dairy manufactures remove lactose during production and sell the products for people who are lactose intolerant. The label will state "lactose-free." If you cannot find lactose-free feta cheese, you can prevent symptoms associated with eating it by taking a lactase enzyme supplement first. If you're severely lactose intolerant you may need to avoid eating feta cheese altogether.
