Lactose is a sugar in dairy products that causes digestive difficulty for some people. Most doughnuts are made with milk and will contain varying amounts of lactose. If you're lactose intolerant you may or may not be able to digest the doughnuts, depending on the amount of lactose in the doughnut and the severity of intolerance to lactose you have. There is no cure for lactose intolerance but it is treatable with diet modification and some medications.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a common digestive condition caused by the inability of the small intestines to create lactase. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose. Without lactase, lactose remains undigested and is unable to be absorbed into the body. If you're lactose intolerant, you will develop gas, bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain and cramping within 30 minutes of ingesting lactose. Everyone has a different degree of intolerance to lactose, so you may be able to handle more lactose than someone else.
Doughnuts
Every doughnut is different and every manufacturer of doughnuts uses a different recipe. To determine how much of the doughnut you can tolerate, read the ingredients and use a challenge diet. If the ingredients include milk, whey, casein or any ingredient that begins with "lact," it most likely contains lactose. Remove all lactose-containing foods from your diet for one week. At the completion of the week, eat ¼ of a doughnut and record your reaction. Each day increase the amount of the doughnut you eat by ¼ until you develop symptoms or you ingest a normal serving of the doughnut. Discuss your findings with your doctor.
Prevention
If you determine that you develop lactose intolerance symptoms from eating a doughnut, you may be able to prevent the symptoms by taking a lactase supplement before your first bite. Lactase supplements are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. The supplement will provide your body with necessary amount of lactase to digest the lactose. Talk with your doctor before using this or any other medication.
Consideration
Lactose intolerance is commonly confused with a food allergy because a food allergy can cause similar symptoms. If you notice that along with digestive complications you develop facial swelling, asthma, nasal congestion or skin rashes, call your doctor for further evaluation.
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