5 Cheeses You Can Still Eat If You’re Lactose Intolerant
Cheese is a food enjoyed worldwide in endless ways: on top of a pizza, as an accompaniment to crackers, sprinkled over salad, or in a soup name, only a few of its common uses. While cheese is versatile in use and available in hundreds of types, this dairy-based food doesn’t always agree with everyone, especially those with lactose intolerance. The good news is there are some types of cheeses that are usually tolerated by those with lactose sensitivities, so you can still enjoy cheese even if you’re lactose intolerant. However, the trick is knowing the best ones to eat.
Lactose is the natural sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Yogurt and ice cream are a couple of foods containing lactose that may not be tolerated by those who are considered lactose intolerant. For individuals with this condition, their bodies aren’t able to break down the lactose sugar in dairy foods, resulting in digestive discomforts like gas, bloating, and diarrhea. One way to combat these symptoms while still enjoying dairy foods is to take enzyme supplements that aid your body in digesting lactose. While this works for many with lactose intolerance, some may need to drastically reduce the lactose in their diet in order to avoid digestive discomfort.
As a rule of thumb, the fresher the cheese, the higher the lactose content is likely to be. This includes ricotta, feta, and cottage cheese. On the other hand, hard cheeses that have been aged usually have lower lactose content and can be easier to digest. There are several kinds of cheese that have relatively low lactose content and are, therefore, able to be properly digested by those with lactose intolerance. Here are five low-lactose cheeses you can enjoy in spite of your lactose intolerance.
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A popular hard cheese, Parmesan has low lactose content and can usually be tolerated by those with lactose intolerance. For reference, whole…
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