If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you, or someone you’re close to, is lactose intolerant. When you suffer from lactose intolerance it affects your life in a lot of different ways, and we all develop our own ways to cope with some of the adverse effects, such as how to deal with eating out, what to do when you’re going around to a friend’s place for dinner, how to order coffee or tea etc.

We’d love it if you could share the love and let us and our other readers know about any tips, thoughts, suggestions or anecdotes about your lactose intolerance that you think might help, or provide some amount of amusement for, others reading this blog.

Does your local café stock Pauls Zymil and do a mean latté? What’s the most ridiculous thing a waiter has said to you? If someone had just been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, what advice would you give them?

By Sharon Natoli, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director of Food & Nutrition Australia.

It can sometimes be easy for people to mistake a sensitivity to lactose for an allergy to cow’s milk.  Although these terms are both related to certain reactions arising from drinking milk, they are actually medically quite different. As cow’s milk allergy and lactose sensitivity can often be confused, this blog helps to highlight the main differences between the two.

1. Occurrence

Cow’s milk allergy tends to occur mainly in infants with 1 in 50 infants in Australia and New Zealand affected¹. Most children outgrow cow’s milk allergy by the age of four years so it is quite rare in adults¹. In contrast, it is rare for babies to be born with a lactose sensitivity as breast milk contains around 7 per cent lactose². Levels of the enzyme lactase, responsible for digesting lactose, can decrease with age meaning lactose sensitivity can develop as a person gets older².

2. Causes

Cow’s milk allergy occurs when there is an overreaction by the body’s immune system to a specific protein found in cow’s milk³. The body reacts as if the protein is a foreign substance. In contrast, if you have a sensitivity to lactose, it’s generally due to not having enough of the enzyme lactase available to digest lactose or ‘milk sugar’⁴.

3. Management

To manage cow’s milk allergy all products made with cow’s milk must be avoided¹. However people with a sensitivity to lactose don’t need to avoid milk completely. They can often tolerate small amounts of lactose in their diet, however need to avoid larger intakes⁵. For example a person with a lactose sensitivity may be able to include a small tub of yoghurt daily, as well as benefiting from the inclusion of lactose free foods, such as Pauls Zymil.

Note: if you suspect you may be allergic or intolerant to certain foods, it is important to confirm this with a health professional to ensure you’re not removing foods unnecessarily from your diet and to rule out any other medical issues that could be causing your symptoms.

For more information visit:

http://www.allergy.org.au

www.daa.asn.au

References:

1. ASCIA. Cow’s milk (dairy) allergy.  2010; Available from: http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/143/138/.

2. Duggan, C., J.B. Watkins, and A.W. Walker, Nutrition in pediatrics: basic science, clinical applications – 4th ed. 2008, Hamilton, Ontario: BC Decker.

5. Suarez, F.L., et al., Lactose maldigestion is not an impediment to the intake of 1500 mg calcium daily as dairy products. Am J Clin Nutr, 1998. 68(5): p. 1118-22.

Tips for Lactose Intolerance

By Sharon Natoli, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director of Food & Nutrition Australia

Having problems digesting cow’s milk? If you answered yes, it can be reassuring to know that you don’t need to eliminate milk from your diet completely. You may just need to change the type of milk you use. Common alternatives to regular cow’s milk include lactose-free milk and soy milk. This blog provides you with information on lactose-free milk and soy milk to help you make the right choice depending upon your needs and preferences.

Lactose Free Milk
Lactose free milks such as Pauls Zymil are regular milks to which the natural enzyme lactase has been added to breakdown the lactose. This process does not affect the natural vitamin and mineral content of milk meaning a product such as Paul’s Zymil, still provides a broad range of essential nutrients.

If you have trouble digesting regular cow’s milk and have confirmed that it is due to lactose, lactose free milks are an appropriate alternative providing you with all the nutritional benefits of regular cow’s milk – just without the lactose.

Soy Milk
Soy milk is produced either through extraction of the ‘milk’ from the soybean, or from soy protein isolate.  Soy milk is lactose free and also doesn’t contain any cow’s milk proteins.  However, natural soy milk is not as high in calcium as cow’s milk so it’s important to choose one with added calcium¹.

If you cannot digest lactose, then choosing Pauls Zymil lactose free milk is a great way to manage your health and help meet your daily calcium intake. Pauls Zymil has a pleasant milky taste with a slight sweet note that makes it appealing to the whole family.

No matter what your choice, following the Australian dietary guidelines² and including 2-3 serves of dairy foods (or alternatives) daily will help you meet your nutritional requirements particularly calcium which is vital for strong bones.

1. Hark, L. and D. Deen, Nutrition: the definitive australian guide to eating for good health. 2005, Camberwell: Dorling Kindersley.

2. National Health and Medical Research Council, Food for Health – Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults. 2003, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing: Canberra.

Toddlers seem to love both rice and gooey things in general, and so this tasty rice pudding recipe using Pauls Zymil will put a big smile on your little one’s face.

Ingredients:

• 900 ml Zymil
• ½ cup white grain rice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup sultanas
• ½ a vanilla bean

By Sharon Natoli, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director of Food & Nutrition Australia

If you have trouble digesting milk and have confirmed that lactose is the culprit, it can be tempting to eliminate milk and other dairy foods altogether. As dairy foods are a natural source of protein and provide a broad range of  vitamins and minerals essential for good health, the Australian dietary guidelines¹ recommend 2-3 serves of dairy foods daily, where a serve is equal to:

• 250ml milk
• 200g yoghurt
• 40g cheese.

Here are a couple of tips to help you meet the recommended 2-3 serves of dairy foods everyday while keeping your intake of lactose down:

1. Test your tolerance level

People who have trouble digesting lactose can often tolerate small amounts of lactose in their diet such as a small glass of milk, however need to avoid larger intakes². Test your tolerance level by consuming small amounts of regular milk with meals and monitoring how you feel.

2. Include lactose-free milks and yoghurts

Lactose free milks and yoghurts are widely available for example, Pauls Zymil or Vaalia Lactose Free Yoghurt. These are simply milks and yoghurts to which the natural enzyme lactase has been added, so it becomes lactose-free. Try lactose-free milk:

• on its own as a drink
• on top of your cereal
• in a fruit smoothie or milkshake
• to make a white sauce that can be added to vegetables, as a topping on grilled or baked fish or on top of pasta bakes or lasagne
• to make dairy based desserts.

For more information on lactose intolerance visit:

• www.gutnsw.edu.au
• www.zymil.com.au for delicious lactose-free recipes
• www.daa.asn.au to find an Accredited Practising Dietitian

1. National Health and Medical Research Council, Food for Health – Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults. 2003, Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing: Canberra.

2. Suarez, F.L., et al., Lactose maldigestion is not an impediment to the intake of 1500 mg calcium daily as dairy products. Am J Clin Nutr, 1998. 68(5): p. 1118-22.

Lactose Intolerance Tips