Chocolate cake does not necessarily have to give you cramps, gas or bloating because you are lactose intolerant. Lactose is milk sugar found only in dairy products. Food and drinks made with natural cocoa powder can satisfy your chocolate craving without side effects, as long as the treat contains no milk, sour cream or other dairy ingredients. Chocolate milk, on the other hand, has plenty of lactose and is something you should drink with caution.
Cocoa Nibs
Each cocoa pod on a cocoa tree contains between 20 and 40 cocoa beans. Cocoa beans are like uncracked almonds -- inside the hard shell of each cocoa bean is a cocoa nib. After the cocoa beans are roasted, the nibs are removed. You can purchase nibs and use them as you would chocolate chips for an unsweetened burst of chocolate flavor. Nibs are also processed further to produce various chocolate products. Nibs contain cocoa butter, fiber, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and healthful plant compounds similar to fruits and veggies, according to Paula Figoni, author of the book "How Baking Works, Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science." There is no lactose in cocoa nibs.
Unsweetened Chocolate
Cocoa nibs are repeatedly rolled and ground, creating natural heat, to form a non-gritty liquid. This liquid is called chocolate liquor, though it has no alcohol content. The liquor is poured into blocks and sold as unsweetened, or bitter, chocolate. These chocolates typically have no added ingredients, but read the label because some manufacturers may add milk fat, flavorings and ground nuts. Lactose is not found in milk fat, but does make up about 50 percent of the other part of milk, termed "milk solids not fat," according to Figoni. Products made with unsweetened chocolate and without dairy will not stimulate the symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Cocoa Powder
Chocolate liquor is squeezed, heated and pressed, which releases the cocoa fat, or cocoa butter. Much of the cocoa butter drips out and the remaining powdery cake is ground to produce natural cocoa powder. Like unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder has no lactose.
Chocolate Products
The chocolate candy bars you pick up at your local store have lactose -- they contain sugar, chocolate, dairy products, flavorings, emulsifiers and cocoa butter. Though milk and white chocolate have more dairy content than bittersweet or dark chocolate, they all contain lactose. Foods made with these chocolates have lactose as well.
Considerations
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, nausea, bloating, abdominal cramps and gas, which can begin within 30 minutes of consuming lactose and last up to two hours. Consider eating small portions of chocolate products made with milk, such as half of a typical-sized milk chocolate bar or half of a 3-inch slice of cake. If you do not develop symptoms, eat a regular-sized bar or slice of cake the next time you want a chocolate treat. If you do experience symptoms, choose lactose-free chocolate products or try a lactase enzyme tablet. Lactase digests lactose, so these tablets may relieve your symptoms.
References
- "How Baking Works, Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science"; Paula Figoni; 2008
- Medline Plus: Lactose Intolerance
Member Comments