Diet with lactose intolerance: you should pay attention to this

Nutrition with lactose intolerance is a challenge: Every trip to the supermarket means looking very carefully at the list of ingredients in advance and avoiding the dairy products shelf. But what do you really have to do without if you are lactose intolerant? And above all: What can you still treat yourself to? Löwenanteil will tell you.

What is lactose intolerance?

About 15% of all Germans suffer from lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance can be either congenital or acquired. But intolerance is not always an allergy. Various diseases such as intestinal flu, a fungal infection or a bacterial infection can be responsible for lactose intolerance. Basically, if you have lactose intolerance, your intestines are completely overloaded and tormented.

The result: even additives in industrial foods can lead to symptoms. Bloating, cramping pains, fatigue and even depressive moods are the most common symptoms, among other consequences. If you find that you keep having problems after consuming animal milk products, you should first have the cause clarified by your doctor. This can be done, for example, by means of an H2 breath test.

How does lactose intolerance develop?

In the case of lactose intolerance, the intestine (to put it simply) does not manage to break down the lactose sufficiently so that it can be utilized. The enzyme lactase is responsible for this. In some people, this enzyme is no longer produced sufficiently and this leads to physical complaints when consuming dairy products. Incidentally, lactose intolerance is not a cow's milk allergy - certain proteins are not tolerated here.

Which foods to avoid if you are lactose intolerant?

If you are lactose intolerant, there is only one thing you can do: reduce milk sugar. But be careful, lactose is not only found in animal products. It can also be found in many finished products and medicines. If you're overreacting, all you can do is examine each ingredient list carefully. The tolerance of compatibility varies from person to person. Which products should you avoid if you are lactose intolerant?

• milk
• buttermilk
• cream
• Quark
• (a lot of) butter
• whey
• chocolate
• sausage
• ready meals

As you can see, lactose likes to hide. Truly giving up often means you may need to adjust a bit. But you should see every change in diet positively. Because there are alternatives that don't give you the feeling that you're giving up something.

Nutrition for lactose intolerance made easy with the Löwenanteil

What dairy products can you eat?

Whether you can eat dairy products despite being lactose intolerant depends on two different factors. Firstly, how sensitive are you? And secondly: How much lactose does the product contain? As a result, it may well be that you:

• some butter,
• Bitter chocolate,
• certain types of yoghurt,
• kefir and
• mature cheese

tolerate well. Butter only has around 0.6 grams of lactose per 100 grams, cheeses such as Bergkäse, Parmesan, Cheddar or Appenzeller have around 0.1 grams of lactose per 100 grams microorganisms. If Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus streptococcus or Lactobacillus bulgaricus was added to the yoghurt, the tolerability is significantly increased because they improve lactose digestion.

Is milk really that healthy?

Whether or not the milk is the culprit is a matter of debate. Fact: The calcium present in milk is important for good bone density. However, increased consumption of dairy products cannot protect women from osteoporosis. A contradiction? Vitamin D3 is also often mentioned. The sun vitamin is contained in milk - but the body also produces it when it is outdoors.

Vegans avoid animal products as a matter of principle and generally enjoy impeccable health. And indeed: If you look at the information on the calcium content of fruit and vegetables, you will quickly find what you are looking for. The onion alone tops the list of calcium-rich vegetables with 540 mg per 100 grams. The recommendation is: 700 – 1000 mg of calcium per day. Well, that sounds clearly doable. We humans are therefore not dependent on milk after weaning.

The Löwenanteil of dishes for lactose intolerance

We can also vegan. You can also get all the important nutrients from a purely plant-based food source. We harness the power of plants and have developed delicious recipes that cover all nutritional values. You can choose from our many different organic dishes and always have something healthy and hearty on your plate. Forget allergies, forget chemical additives or other ingredients. With us you eat clean.

Here we have an overview for you of how much calcium is in our dishes:

Chipotle Chili	164.16mg	16.42% of the daily requirement
Chili Vegano	189.24mg	18.92% of the daily requirement
Chick pea curry	224.1mg	22.41% of the daily requirement
mountain lentil stew	117.4mg	11.74% of the daily requirement
Lentils à la Provence	191.5mg	19.15% of the daily requirement
Italian bean stew	229.7mg	22.97% of the daily requirement

Conclusion

If you are lactose intolerant, whether you are born here or acquired over time, you cannot tolerate lactose from dairy products because your body cannot break down the milk sugar properly. In fact, the enzyme lactase, which is responsible for the breakdown, has not been found in (weaned) humans for that long: it is said to have only been established around 3200 years ago. You don't have to do without anything. You will find plenty of calcium in vegetables and fruits – without any side effects.

 

FAQ Diet for lactose intolerance

What are the lactose intolerance symptoms?

The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance include: flatulence, abdominal pain (including cramps), diarrhea and slimy stools, a feeling of fullness, as well as nausea and vomiting. There may also be back pain, exhaustion, depressive moods, sleep disorders, tiredness and lack of concentration, dizziness and tachycardia.

What can I eat if I am lactose intolerant?

Depending on how sensitive your body is, you can consume a certain amount of dairy products. Make sure that there is not too much lactose in the products. For example, you could (nevertheless) tolerate butter, kefir, dark chocolate or mature cheese due to their low lactose content. You can find out more about foods containing lactose here .

What should I avoid if I am lactose intolerant?

Milk, conventional yoghurt, quark: These products have a lot of lactose and sometimes lead to physical problems even in people with chronic intestinal diseases. Maybe you can still tolerate a dash of milk in your coffee, but the bowl of muesli with milk is too much? This is where your personal “pain threshold” decides, which should always be checked by a doctor.

Can I use lactose-free milk products?

Lactose-free dairy products still contain 0.1 g of lactose per 100 grams of product. If you have a lactose intolerance, you should also consider this. A surprising number of lactose-free dairy products have appeared on the market in recent years that you can try and use.

Difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance

If you suffer from a milk allergy, your body is allergic to certain proteins in milk. This leads, for example, to neurodermatitis flare-ups. In the case of lactose intolerance, on the other hand, your body cannot break down the milk sugar properly. Your body does not produce enough of the enzyme lactase.