What Not To Eat If You Are Lactose Intolerant?

Once diagnosed, the lactose intolerant notices that life as they knew is affected in different areas, such as the following:

Intrapersonal Area

Having this intolerance generates an evident state of tension, alertness and stress. You must be aware of what you can or cannot consume, always read the product labels, ask in the restaurants about the food, etc.

Interpersonal Area

It is evident that eating has an important social component. Dinners with friends, business lunches, celebrations, etc. Much of our social life revolves around food, and the lactose intolerant in their social life often feels limited and different, having to make continuous justifications and explanations about the reason for their lack and diet.

Dietary Area

Stop consuming dairy products may have important dietary limitations, and the intolerant is looking for alternatives rich in calcium, and other vitamins and minerals present in dairy products. Fortunately, there are many natural alternatives rich in these components in the market such as fish, nuts, etc, and even a growing supply of lactose-free dairy products. It is necessary to have the advice of nutritionists-dietitians, especially in the initial phase of defining a diet after diagnosis.

Medical Area

More than 800 medications, either prescribed or over-the-counter ones contain lactose among its excipients. This makes difficult the prescription of the right medication and so the patient should be guided by the specialist doctor in the choice of a lactose-free alternative medicine.

Consumption Area

Lactose is hidden in the list of ingredients with other names, and also added in unimaginable products. In addition, lactose-free products are difficult to locate and expensive (about 30-40% more than their equivalents with lactose). All this converts the purchase into the supermarkets into an authentic daily struggle for the intolerant.

About Restaurants

Although the latest regulations oblige restaurants to report on the presence of the main allergens in their menus, the reality today is the lack of sensitivity of these establishments in their compliance, along with the high turnover of their staff, it makes it very difficult to go to eat at any restaurant. And it is also a problem when we get to the desserts, where the offer for the lactose intolerant is practically non-existent.

What is Lactose?

Lactose is a sugar present in milk and dairy products. Fermented dairy products and yogurt are better tolerated than milk, because they contain lactase and that makes lactose more digestible.

There are special “lactose-free” and other lactose-free milks on the market. It is recommended to read the labels of consumer products, because some processed foods contain lactose as a preservative and thickener. Also, some medications contain lactose.

What Not To Eat If You Are Lactose Intolerant?

The Following Is A List Of Food You Should Not Eat If You Are Diagnosed With Lactose Intolerance:

  • Milk and its derivatives: modified, skimmed, condensed or sweetened milk, milkshakes, cream, all non-fermented cheeses, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, béchamel sauce, milk butters, chocolate with added dairy and chocolate, custard, flan.
  • Sweet bread, toast, biscuits and sliced bread.
  • Pre-packaged snacks in commercial and prepared commercial foods (usually specify if they contain lactose or not).
  • Pastry and confectionery products in general made with dairy products (biscuits, croissants, etc).
  • Candies, chocolates, sweetened pills, chewing gum, etc.
  • Pasta or cereals with milk or lactose. Soup paste and envelope soup, powders to prepare instant drinks.
  • Sweet ham and mortadella. Meat and fish seasoned with sauces or products containing milk, sausages, and commercial sausages.
  • Breasts, liver.
  • Others: potato chips. Sauces or commercial condiments.

The use of products containing the following ingredients or additives is also discouraged: lactose, lactose monohydrate, milk sugar, milk solids, traces of milk, whey, rennet, curd, milk fats.

Conclusion

Physicians should apply an individualized treatment, depending on the patient´s symptoms, being rare the cases in which a complete suppression of milk and derivatives is required. In patients with lactose intolerance, prehydrolyzed milk or different exogenous lactase supplements can be used, which when added to milk and derivatives hydrolyze lactose, avoiding the symptoms.

Also Read:

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:July 27, 2018

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