What is lactose intolerance?

What is lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is the reduced ability to digest lactose – the natural sugar in milk and other dairy products.

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If you are lactose intolerant, it means that your body produces too little of the enzyme lactase, which is required to digest lactose. Being lactose intolerant doesn’t mean being allergic to milk, it just means that you tolerate less lactose and therefore may experience gastrointestinal discomfort when you consume dairy products. Read more about lactose intolerance vs. milk allergy.

Over the course of your life, your body can start to produce less of the lactase enzyme, which means that you can develop lactose intolerance later in life.

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Lactose intolerance is completely harmless 

Lactose intolerance is harmless and in fact normal for most adults in the world. Most children tolerate lactose so intolerance before school age is very uncommon. The reason is that breast milk contains a much higher proportion of lactose than milk. 

A different tolerance for different people

Without being experts on the matter, it seems that how much lactose one can tolerate and what reactions you see if you are lactose intolerant differ from person to person. If a lactose intolerant person eats too much lactose at once, the stomach can be bloated and churning, and diarrhoea may occur, but it’s always a good idea to contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. If you're lactose intolerant, it's all about finding the right level - maybe one daily glass of milk or one portion of yogurt is what you can tolerate.

The four types of lactose intolerance 

Before reading on, let’s just say this: we’re not scientists or the likes, we just really love great-tasting lactose-free dairy. So, if you need more in-depth information, please consult your doctor or dietician. From what we know from general research, also called googling, lactose intolerance is divided into four different types:

  • Congenital lactose intolerance
  • Primary lactose intolerance
  • Secondary lactose intolerance
  • Developmental lactose intolerance

Congenital lactose intolerance

Perhaps you know congenital lactose intolerance as genetic or hereditary lactose intolerance. It’s a very unusual form in which the baby already reacts to the milk sugar in breast milk. This form is caused by a genetic fault resulting in the baby not producing enough lactase. Both parents must carry the faulty gene for it to be passed on to the baby, so it’s a rare type of lactose intolerance. Again, if you want more in-depth information, please consult your doctor or dietician.

Primary lactose intolerance

Primary lactose intolerance is the most common form in which too little lactase enzyme is produced in the intestine. This means that not all lactose is broken down in the small intestine as it should be.

Like the congenital form, primary lactose intolerance is also caused by a genetic fault that is passed on. As opposed to the type above, primary lactose intolerance usually shows after the age of two, when the child doesn’t get breast milk or formula anymore. As the diet no longer consists primarily of milk and dairy, lactase production decreases. In many cases, the symptoms don’t show until adulthood.

Secondary lactose intolerance

Secondary lactose intolerance is also very common and is seen at all ages. It can occur in connection with medication, intestinal infection, or intestinal damage such as gluten intolerance. This form is often transient and involves a temporary decrease in the ability to break down lactose. Once the injury has healed, the gut's ability to break down lactose returns.

Secondary lactose intolerance can also develop without any triggering condition – usually later in life – when the production of lactase in the body naturally reduces.

Developmental lactose intolerance

Developmental lactose intolerance is sometimes seen in babies that are born prematurely if their small intestine isn’t fully developed when they’re born. Developmental lactose intolerance is usually temporary and improves as the baby grows older

Foods that contain lactose

Lactose is found in milk. Easy right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy

If you want to live without lactose it’s probably no surprise that you should avoid products that contain lactose. But which products hold lactose, and which don’t? Let’s go through the basics – and remember to consult your doctor or dietician if you have any doubts or questions.

Lactose is found in milk. Easy right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy, as this means that lactose is also found in products and food containing milk: other dairy products such as yogurt, cream, cheese, butter, and ice cream as well as bread, biscuits, mayonnaise, chocolate, etc. The list is quite long when you start writing it down, so we won’t do that here.

You can always check the ingredients list of any product to make sure that it doesn’t contain lactose.

Foods you can eat

If you suspect that you may be lactose intolerant, you can still enjoy some regular dairy products.

Many people with lactose intolerance can still eat yellow cheese because of the low level of lactose (less than 0.05 g of lactose per 100 grams of cheese). Most lactose intolerant people can also eat yogurt as the lactic acid bacteria ease the digestion of lactose.

  • Arla LactoFREE recipes
    Arla LactoFREE recipes View

Obviously, lactose free products are also an option. Arla LactoFREE is the taste of real dairy but without lactose – simply dairy goodness.

Lactose intolerance FAQs

Can you develop lactose intolerance?

Since lactose is milk sugar, it’s found in dairy products and all other foods containing milk – unless they are lactose-free, of course. For most people, products such as milk and cream come to mind when thinking of products with lactose, but it’s also found in, for example, milk chocolate, ice cream, and many baked goods.

Am I lactose intolerant?

You need to consult your doctor to get a correct diagnose as they can also be symptoms of many other things.

What does lactose intolerance mean?

The short – and obvious – definition of lactose intolerance is that it’s an intolerance to lactose. It means that if you suffer from lactose intolerance, you can’t digest lactose, which is found in dairy products.

What causes lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance can be hereditary or develop later in life. A natural decrease in the body’s production of the lactase enzyme causes it. It’s usually detected when an intolerant person starts experiencing symptoms after ingesting lactose. Consult your doctor or dietician for more information about this matter.

How long does secondary lactose intolerance last?

Please consult your doctor – any medical issue is individual.

How many people are lactose intolerant?

Lactose intolerance is very common, but it’s difficult to tell how many people are lactose intolerant as some never get the diagnose, and those who have it experience different symptoms to different degrees.

Is lactose intolerance genetic?

Congenital and primary lactose intolerance are genetic. Both forms are caused by a genetic fault that is passed on from the parents.

Are you born with lactose intolerance?

Some forms are genetic and therefore present from birth. However, many people don’t develop symptoms until adulthood.

Can lactose intolerance cause constipation?

Constipation can be a symptom of lactose intolerance, but it can also be a symptom of many other things, for example milk allergy, so always contact your doctor if you experience constipation or other symptoms.

Can lactose intolerance go away?

Secondary lactose intolerance is usually temporary as it’s triggered by, for example, medicine or infection and therefore goes away when the treatment is done. Contact your doctor if you want to know more about this.

What does lactose intolerance feel like?

If you’re lactose intolerant you might feel a discomfort after eating or drinking foods with lactose. This discomfort can be seen in many forms – please consult your doctor if you experience any discomfort.

What can I eat if I’m lactose intolerant?

If you’re lactose intolerant you can easily eat anything without lactose, but you might also tolerate smaller amounts of lactose such as milk in your coffee or cream used in a sauce. Most lactose intolerants can also eat hard cheeses and sour dairy as these products are naturally low in lactose. Of course, lactose-free products are also a good option as they allow you to follow your normal diet, just without the lactose. Please consult your doctor if you experience any discomfort.

What can’t lactose intolerant people eat?

If you’re lactose intolerant you should avoid foods with lactose. This means foods containing milk. For example, cream, ice cream, dressing, butter, and bread. Remember to consult your doctor or dietician if you suspect that you’re lactose intolerant. They can help you determine how big an amount of lactose you tolerate and advise you on your diet.