If you are someone that suffers from lactose intolerance and your stomach hurts when you have yogurt or foods that have regular milk, then regular milk is off the table for you.However, there is something called lactose-free milk that could solve most of your problems. If you are not sure about what lactose-free milk is, we are here to help you in this article.Lactose-free milk is a very useful regular milk alternative for people with dairy lactose intolerance. It is a commercial product of milk but without any lactose, hence, not completely naturally made. Lactose intolerance causes a lot of trouble in the lives of a lot of people, but with the help of lactose-free milk, not only can they go back to drinking milk but they can also enjoy other dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, and cheese. Since it contains almost all the same nutrients and even the same taste, you can swap this for regular milk in all your favorite recipes that ask for milk. This has made life easier for people with lactose intolerance so lactose-free milk does work for lactose-intolerant people.Read more articles like this here, such as how is ice cream made? and how is cheese made?How is lactose-free milk made from natural milk?The process in which lactose-free milk is made from regular milk is pretty simple. It only requires the manufacturers to add a certain enzyme to it.One might think that the process of making lactose-free milk from regular milk must be very complicated and time-consuming, but it boils down to a very simple solution. Lactose is a type of sugar that is present in dairy milk. A certain amount of it is present in cow’s milk and since it is the main source of milk for humans, it can become tricky for lactose-intolerant people. You see, our body contains something called the lactase enzyme that breaks down lactose into simple sugars like glucose and galactose so that they are absorbed properly by our bodies. However, people with lactose intolerance have very low levels of lactase, and thus, can not break down lactose, which may cause severe digestive issues. Lactose-free milk is not made by removing the lactose from the milk as one might think. Lactose-free milk is made by adding lactase to the milk when it is processed. The production of lactose-free milk is pretty easy. It helps with breaking down the sugar into a set of more simple sugars such as glucose and galactose.The process that helps break down lactose into glucose and galactose can be a great alternative for people who lack lactase or need lactose-free products to digest foods better. If you are a lactose intolerant person who cannot have their favorite dairy products, lactose-free milk is a great alternative for you. If you are wondering if lactose-free milk has fat or not, then, there are different kinds of lactose-free milk based on how much fat is present in them. There is not only lactose-free whole milk but also lactose-free skim milk (with almost zero fat) and lactose-free cream as well. You will not lose out on nutritional values because it has the same vitamins and calcium as regular milk.How are lactose-free products made from natural milk?Being lactose intolerant is not only about not being able to consume milk but other products of milk as well.We understand the pains of not being able to consume any of your favorite dairy products because of a medical condition. And let’s be real, most dairy substitutes do not taste the same as the real deal, but what about lactose-free milk? Can lactose-free milk be used in place of regular milk in recipes? The answer is yes. As lactose-free milk has almost the same taste and same nutritional values as regular milk, it is a very good substitute for regular milk in dairy products. Because it only has an added enzyme that helps break down lactose into a set of simple sugar. However, lactose-free milk is a little bit sweeter than regular milk because the manufacturers add sugar to make it taste the same. Other than that, it is pretty much the same. There are many lactose-free products made from lactose-free milk, such as cream, butter, cheese, and yogurt. For people who have lactose intolerance, these products are not safe to use if they are made from regular milk, but when produced from lactose-free milk, they can have it and not fear digestive issues at all. You can also use lactose-free milk in the recipes that call for milk and they will taste the same as well. Lactose-free dairy products are also safe to consume for you. However, unlike regular milk, when you are boiling lactose-free milk, you should follow the instructions given. For example, Lactaid should not be allowed to boil as that can scald the milk and make it bitter. In general, Lactaid does not have many side effects, though it can cause some digestive issues as noted in some people.How is lactose-free whole milk made and is it as nutritious as whole milk?You might be worried about whether lactose-free milk lacks any nutritional values, and we understand why. It is very important to know the nutritional values of the products you are consuming.Whole milk or regular milk has a lot of nutrients and is very important for our bodies, especially for growing children. A lactose-intolerant body that lacks the lactase enzyme, consuming milk is tricky as it might lead to severe stomach aches, bloating, and other types of digestive issues. Lactose-free milk is made by adding the enzyme lactase to regular milk. Lactase breaks down and helps us digest lactose. Lactose is found in milk and if you cannot have dairy products because of it then lactose-free milk is going to be your best friend. It does not lose any of the nutrients and even has some upsides. Even for people who are not lactose intolerant, consuming milk heavy products can lead to some digestive issues because of the lactose present. With lactose-free milk, that is not a problem anymore. It also contains the same vitamins, protein, and calcium as regular milk.The only downside is that lactose-free milk has added sugar to make up for the loss of lactose and that is why it might be sweeter. Other than this, eating food products made from lactose-free milk is safe. It won’t cause any bad gut reaction even if you are intolerant. You can eat food products like cream, butter, cheese, and yogurt, and any other dairy food as long as they are made from lactose-free milk. However, if you have a dairy allergy, which is different from lactose intolerance, you cannot have lactose-free milk as it is still a dairy product. If you are allergic to dairy the only option is to switch to non-dairy variants of milk, like soy milk and almond milk as lactose-free milk is not for people with a dairy allergy. Lactose-free milk contains the same nutritional values as regular milk and is completely safe for lactose-intolerant people. It is better for your health as well.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘How is lactose-free milk made? Curious milk facts everyone should know!’ then why not take a look at ‘Kids chemistry simplified: Why do metals conduct electricity?’ or ‘Have you ever wondered: Why do football players wear eye black?’
If you are someone that suffers from lactose intolerance and your stomach hurts when you have yogurt or foods that have regular milk, then regular milk is off the table for you.
