Ice cream often contains whey powder, particularly low-fat ice cream. However, most whey contains very high amounts of lactose. If you're even slightly lactose intolerant then a serving of ice cream with whey could trigger diarrhea symptoms. Eating lots of ice cream in one go may also lead to slight diarrhea.
Ice Cream and Whey
Whey is the cloudy liquid substance that comes from strained and curdled milk. Some manufacturers dry whey and sell it as a protein-rich powder. This powder is sold as a bodybuilding supplement or used in the production of foods, including many types of ice cream. Ice cream made with whey contains high levels of lactose, as well as fats, proteins and some other carbohydrates. Whey protein isolate contains less fat and lactose, though it is rarely used in ice cream production.
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose-intolerant people cannot effectively digest the dairy sugar lactose. Lactose intolerance causes many different symptoms, one of the more common being diarrhea. Though you may not consider yourself lactose intolerant, it's worth remembering that most people can take at least small amounts of lactose without symptoms, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The very large amounts of lactose contained in ice cream and whey might trigger lactose intolerance symptoms such as diarrhea in some people.
Diarrhea
When you have diarrhea your stools come out frequently -- and often as a watery, shapeless mass. Often diarrhea occurs as a symptom of viral gastroenteritis, according to the MedlinePlus website. This interferes with your digestive system and inflames your intestinal lining. While it may seem that cold foods such as ice cream will soothe gastroenteritis, often the fats and sugars from the milk only serve to make things worse, including diarrhea.
Considerations
If after speaking with your doctor you discover that you're lactose intolerant, you should avoid eating whey-based ice cream. However, your doctor may also recommend taking a supplement tablet containing lactase. This helps you digest the lactose in the ice cream with whey. People with moderate-to-mild lactose intolerance may find that this works well enough to prevent any symptoms of diarrhea after eating the ice cream
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