Lactose Intolerance Question

[ciavyn]

I'm not sure I'm posting this in the right section, but I have a quick question re: lactose intolerance. If you are just starting out in the gluten free experience, and should avoid dairy, does that mean you can't have lactose items at all? What about lactose free, like some milk and cheese? How about taking lactaid with items with lactose? I'm not sure I completely understand the process, so I want to make sure I get it right.

[mushroom]

I'm not sure I'm posting this in the right section, but I have a quick question re: lactose intolerance. If you are just starting out in the gluten free experience, and should avoid dairy, does that mean you can't have lactose items at all? What about lactose free, like some milk and cheese? How about taking lactaid with items with lactose? I'm not sure I completely understand the process, so I want to make sure I get it right.

Well, first off, I am sure you understand that there is a difference between dairy and lactose. When people talk about all dairy, they generally refer to the protein, casein, in dairy products, while lactose is the sugar in dairy products. You can be intolerant of lactose only, or both. Lactose gets digested by enzymes in cultured dairy products, and some people can eat some cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, etc., which have all been cultured. Lactaid milk has had the lactase enzyme added to it to digest the lactose, and some people can tolerate lactose in any form by taking the Lactaid type tablets with it. The reason for a specific lactose intolerance in celiacs is that the villi in the small intestine which are damaged by the gluten produce the lactase enzyme needed for its digestion, and often once the celiac person heals he can resume consuming lactose. Others on the other hand are intolerant of the milk protein, and this normally does not go away. Hope this answers your question.

[jststric]

I was lactose intolerant for 15 yrs before all my other intolerances kicked in. And now I have no idea if it's lactose I have issues with or the casein. I try to avoid it, period. I can drink the Lactaid, but prefer soymilk. I eat vegan cheese when I can find it and afford it. It's not great. Haven't found anything that's anywhere CLOSE to the real thing. There isn't a specific way of doing this as everyone is DIFFERENT. It's very much a trial and error thing and learning what you can and can't have can also differ depending on the day and hour sometimes. I finally got to a point where I'd imagine what it could be doing to my insides to "entice" me to stay "clean", lol.