Anyone who has experienced lactose intolerance will empathize with the famous scene from the movie "French Kiss," in which the main character, Meg Ryan, suffers from lactose intolerance and eats a bunch of French cheeses!
Is there any way around this, do those of us who eat lactose have to suffer through life not enjoying ice cream and cheese? I have discovered, through a but of research, that there are many cheeses that either contain 0g of lactose, or incredibly low amounts. Depending on your level of lactose intolerance, whether you are simply lactose sensitive (meaning you can consume some small amounts of lactose) or completely intolerant (can't consume any at all!) you can in fact try to eat REAL cheeses! I have never taken the digestive aide "lactaid" I would rather not eat food if I have to take a pill to make it digestible. However it may be great for some!
I did a bit of research and discovered something interesting, aged cheeses don't really have much, if any, lactose in them! Lactose is the sugar in dairy, as cheese ages the bacteria in the dairy break down lactose because it is their food source. The older the cheese the more lactose has been consumed from it. Thus older, harder cheeses have less, if any lactose! The bacteria cultures consume lactose and create lactic acid as a byproduct, this is something our bodies can digest.
I assumed I was destined for a cheese-free existence, however I have since tried Cabot sharp cheddar, and low and behold, I can tolerate it!! If you look on the packaging of some cheeses, Cabot for example, it actually states that the product contains 0g of lactose in it. Also try eating yogurt, if you aren't already, the bacteria cultures in yogurt also break down lactose and make it very healthy and edible even for those who can't eat lactose.
Now keep in mind, some people might actually have a dairy allergy, which is different than a lactose sensitivity. A dairy allergy means you are actually allergic to the proteins in dairy products, these proteins still exists in cheese, no matter its age.
As for ice cream, well I eat coconut ice cream. I never really adjusted to the taste of soy ice cream, but the coconut kind is absolutely divine! They have so many flavors and even offer it in our local shopping store, meaning we aren't restricted to buying it at health food stores (where it is often much more expensive). Unfortunately, because ice cream is made from cream and milk the lactose concentration is still very high. However, luckily there are many substitutes that do not use lactose containing ingredients. Coconut ice creams are super creamy and absolutely delish! I suggest, if you haven't already, give it a try, you won't regret it!
For now I enjoy my coconut ice cream, aged cheddar cheese, and yogurt to get my "dairy" fixes. Now, depending on your lactose sensitivity and whether or not you are dairy-allergic, go try some aged cheese. Make you sure you read up on it and know the lactose content of the cheese you are trying... I hope your exploration goes great! I am certainly excited to be able to have my grilled cheese sandwiches again!
- Night Owl Gal
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