Carob is commonly used as a chocolate substitute and is naturally lactose-free. If you're lactose intolerant, you need to read the ingredients in a carob product because it may be made with dairy ingredients. Lactose intolerance is considered a very common digestive condition that affects about 30 million Americans aged 20 and older, according to PubMed Health. Lactose intolerance is more prevalent in certain ethic backgrounds, such as Asians, Africans and Native Americans.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is the result of lactase deficiency. Lactase is the enzyme that digests lactose. Lactase helps the body to absorb the lactose, the sugar in milk, and store it as energy. Lactose is found in types of milk, such as breast milk, cow's milk sheep's milk and goat's milk. Newborn babies make large amounts of lactase because their entire diet is dependent on the consumption of milk. It is very rare that a baby would be lactose intolerant. Intolerance to lactose can develop at any time in life, but commonly begins in adolescence. This condition has no long-term effects on the body but will cause unpleasant symptoms after consuming dairy products.
Carob
Carob is a seed that does not contain any lactose. If you eat carob seeds without any added milk, you will not develop any lactose intolerant symptoms. Carob is typically used as a chocolate substitute in bars, dairy products and baked goods. Even if the carob food product contains milk, it may not affect you if you're lactose intolerant. Every individual can tolerate a different amount of lactose in his diet. If you have a mild intolerance, you will most likely not develop symptoms from carob products that are made with milk. Talk with your doctor before eating a food product that you're unsure of.
Symptoms
If you develop symptoms of lactose intolerance after eating carob, you should call your doctor for further evaluation. Symptoms from lactose intolerance typically begin 20 to 30 minutes after you ingest dairy products. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas, foul-smelling stools and stools that float are the most common symptoms associated with lactose intolerance.
Allergy Consideration
If the carob product does not contain any lactose and you still develop digestive complications, you may have an allergy to carob. An allergic reaction occurs when your body identifies the carob as an intruding substance. This can cause symptoms similar to lactose intolerance, along with hives, facial swelling, shortness of breath and skin complications.
