According to nutrition consultant and natural chef, Karyn Forsyth Duggan, M.S., BBS, not only is lactose intolerance “no fun!” but “it’s estimated2 that up to 75% of the world’s population have and/or will develop hypolactasia,” a specific term for lactose intolerance that indicates a deficiency of the enzyme lactase in the intestines. “Adverse reactions to foods encompass both food allergies and food intolerances,” she adds. “Lactose intolerance doesn’t actually involve the immune system; instead it’s the result of the body’s inability to digest/absorb/metabolize a food or a component of the food.” Megan Meyer, Ph.D., director, science communication, at the International Food Information Council, agrees, noting that unlike a true food allergy, which triggers an immune system response, lactose intolerance “is a condition that takes place in our digestive system and does not involve our immune system. A lactose intolerance occurs when the body has difficulty breaking down lactose, a sugar found in dairy.” Fineberg adds that the way a cheese is processed and the type of milk used can affect the lactose content in the cheese. “Cheese has much lower lactose levels than other dairy products because much of the lactose is lost in the whey (the liquid portion that forms during cheese-making),” she says. “Aging cheese can further reduce the lactose levels because during the fermentation process, bacteria turns the lactose to lactic acid. Additionally, in terms of the type of milk used, goat’s milk has slightly lower levels of lactose than cow’s milk.” “Hard, aged cheese tends to be lowest in lactose—think Parmesan and aged cheddar,” Fineberg says. “Goat cheese also typically sits well with my lactose-intolerant clients. Overall, though, since cheese is much lower in lactose than say a glass of milk, small amounts of any kind are typically tolerated well. That being said, if you’re still having issues, it could be helpful to look at the serving size of cheese you’re consuming or investigate if perhaps there is something else to blame for the digestive distress.” If you want to be particularly careful about your lactose consumption, here’s a handy guide to some of the most popular low-lactose cheese options: She’s also a contributing editor at California Home Design.
