Lactose intolerance treatment

Low-lactose or lactose-free diet

Depending on the severity of the disease, an individually tailored, lactose-free (maximum 1 gram of milk sugar per day) or low-lactose (maximum 10 grams of lactose per day) diet is appropriate. For many of those affected, switching to a low-lactose diet is sufficient. For therapy, many lactose-free products are available in supermarkets, and lactase preparations are available from pharmacies, so products containing lactose are also better tolerated.

 

Foods containing lactose

Foods containing lactose include milk, products made from it, and food and drinks. The most important are:

• buttermilk
• milk powder
• condensed milk
• Butter
• Quark
• Scene
• yoghurt
• Milk
• ice cream
• chocolate
• chocolates

But lactose is contained in milk and milk products and hidden in many industrially produced foods. For example, lactose can be contained in ready meals, confectionery, bread and bread products, spice mixtures, sweetener tablets, instant products, and meat and sausage products. Medicines can also contain lactose as an ingredient.

When shopping for groceries, the ingredients list can provide information on whether lactose is contained. If in doubt, the manufacturer can also be asked for information.

Well-tolerated foods for people with lactose intolerance

Substitutes for some of the products are soy milk, soy quark and soy-based creamers. Ripened semi-hard cheese, hard, sour milk and soft cheese are generally well tolerated since the lactose is primarily converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria.

Sour milk products such as yoghurt, quark and kefir are often accessible in limited quantities.

Probiotic yoghurts that contain bacterial lactase are exceptionally well tolerated. In the meantime, there is even low-lactose milk in the grocery store.

 

Adequate calcium intake

Due to the limited consumption of milk and dairy products, calcium is a critical nutrient. To ensure adequate calcium intake, it is essential to cover your needs with other calcium-containing foods, such as:

• Soy milk and tofu
• Meat, fish and eggs
• plant-based foods such as legumes, kale, broccoli or fennel

Calcium-enriched mineral water with a calcium content of over 150 milligrams per litre is also recommended.

Where is the danger?

Anyone suffering from lactose intolerance should be cautious when shopping. Caution is advised when purchasing unpackaged baked goods, meat and fish products and delicatessen salads for which no declaration of the ingredients is necessary. In addition, lactose can be contained in sweetener tablets, medicines and toothpaste.

Lactose is also used in the food industry as an additive, e.g. B., as a carrier for flavours or as an emulsifier. However, ingredients of food additives can be excluded from the list of ingredients if they make up less than 25% of the additive, so the proportion of lactose is usually not indicated. However, some manufacturers attach importance to a full declaration of all ingredients or the note “lactose-free” or “low-lactose”.