Chevre, or goat's milk cheese, has been cited as a possible alternative dairy food for those with lactose allergies or intolerance. While goat's milk matches or surpasses cow's milk in a variety of nutrients and has a slightly different chemical makeup, goat's milk is still an animal-derived milk and does contain lactose in amounts that can exacerbate a lactose sensitivity.
About Chevre
Goat's cheese may have been one of the earliest-made dairy products. Chevre, in its simplest form, is raw goat's milk curds, pressed and formed. The curds may be formed into logs and served fresh, soon after production, or they may be formed into rounds and allowed to form a rind and age for several months. In the case of cheeses like feta, the curds are brined, lending a salty flavor to the finished product. Chevre is soft and spreadable at room temperature and does not melt like cow's cheese does. Numerous types of chevre are made throughout the world, using milk from different breeds of goats and slightly different production techniques.
Lactose
According to the Mayo Clinic, lactose is the type of sugar naturally occurring in mammal milk, including human, goat and cow's milk, making goat's milk an unsuitable substitution for other milks in lactose intolerant people. Human milk contains around 6.5 to 7.5 percent lactose, while both cow and goat's milk contain about 5 percent, depending on animal breed and diet. Lactose is not destroyed or altered in the cheese-making process. Galactose and glucose compose lactose; these two units are joined by a connection called an acetal oxygen bridge.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance occurs when a person produces a deficiency of lactase. Lactase is formed in the cells that line the small intestine. This enzyme breaks lactose into its two parts, galactose and glucose, which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. With a shortage of lactase, the consumed lactose in chevre cannot be split and absorbed and, instead, ferments in the intestines with the assistance of digestive bacteria. This fermentation creates a buildup of carbon dioxide and can result in cramping, diarrhea, nausea and bloating. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, 75 percent of all African Americans and Native Americans are lactose intolerant, along with 90 percent of Asian Americans. Lactose intolerance usually occurs in adulthood.
Allergies
Though they are sometimes confused, lactose intolerance and allergies are not the same thing when it comes to chevre. If you are allergic to cow's milk, you may be able to eat chevre because the two milks have slightly different amino acid structures in their proteins. However, because they milks are similar, you may still produce the same antibodies, causing an allergic reaction to goat's milk and goat's cheese.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Digestive Disorders: Lactose Intolerance
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Lactose Intolerance
- Elmhurst College Virtual Chembook: Lactose
- Mayo Clinic: Lactose Intolerance
- Petite Chevre: Interesting Fact's About Goat's Milk
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