Do you have a gut feeling that dairy doesn’t agree with you?
If you’ve been suffering from gastro symptoms, you might have pinned dairy as Suspect #1. And you wouldn’t be alone – it’s estimated that 65 per cent of the population have a reduced ability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk.
So, is it time to say “nice knowing you” to milk, yoghurt and cheese? Before you start clearing out your fridge, let us clear up some of the common myths around the dairy issue.
Is it really lactose intolerance?
If you find yourself reacting to dairy, there are a few conditions to rule out.
- True lactose intolerance is where the body does not produce sufficient lactase, an enzyme which is needed to break down lactose. Symptoms commonly include diarrhoea, bloating, cramps, gas, nausea and vomiting.
- FODMAP intolerance is the inability to break down certain short-chain carbohydrates, including lactose (only in some people with FODMAP intolerance). It’s common in people with irritable bowel syndrome.
- Dairy protein intolerance concerns the proteins found in dairy, whey and casein. Casein is usually the culprit (interestingly, casein is quite similar to gluten in structure). Often this manifests as skin reactions.
- Milk allergy is an immune reaction, usually to casein. You’ll know if you have this – the reaction is rapid, involves hives, swelling, vomiting and even anaphylaxis in extreme cases.
Could it be your gut talking?
Were you fine with dairy as a kid, but found your ability to digest the stuff has waned as you’ve got older? It could be down to how well you’re looking after your gut (or, um, not looking after it).
“Lactase enzymes sit on the very tip of your microvilli (the little hairs that line your intestine) and help digest your food,” says our in-house dietician, Natalie Bourke. “The tips of these will be the first things damaged in bad gut health, and therefore your ability to digest lactose can decrease.”
While some people will simply experience decreased lactase production, healing your gut is a good step towards finding your true tolerance for dairy. Which brings us to…
How to find your true tolerance.
If you’re still not sure what’s turning your tummy, it’s worth doing an elimination test and find out whether it’s the lactose or protein you’re reacting to.
“Eliminate all dairy for around four weeks. Then introduce one new dairy product at a time every three days and monitor your reactions,” advises Natalie. “If you have gut symptoms like bloating and diarrhoea, this is most reflective of lactose intolerance. If you experience more skin reactions, this is more likely to be an intolerance to the proteins found in dairy.”
If you have lactose intolerance, it’s not the end of the world. Lactase supplements can help digestion, as well as eating small amounts of dairy at a time. Hard cheeses are also very low in lactose! (Hint: those lactose-free cheeses in the supermarket are just clever marketing.)
Dairy protein intolerance, on the other hand, does mean you’ll have to cut down on your cheese habit (yep, cheese is full of protein). But don’t despair – you can have butter and ghee, which are free from both lactose and protein.
All in all, listening to your body, looking after your gut and seeking professional advice from medical experts will all help you find your best tolerance for dairy. We wouldn’t want to miss out on cheese if we didn’t have to, right?
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