Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance

Eating ice cream, drinking milk, eating cereal are all things we like to consume every day. Ice cream is a tasty treat enjoyed by adults and children alike. Most people love downing a tall glass of milk and we all enjoy eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast. However, if you are lactose intolerant, you may be missing out on these tasty treats and with dairy being one of the four food groups, you may be missing out on more than enjoying ice cream or a tall glass of cold milk. You are missing out on getting important vitamins and nutrients.

Lactose is the sugar in milk and lactase is the enzyme that is responsible for breaking down lactose in your digestive tract after you have consumed a dairy product. If you are one of the 30 to 50 million Americans who are lactose intolerant then when you consume a dairy product you may have bouts of nausea, cramping, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Luckily, there are things from your kitchen you can use to get relief from the symptoms caused by lactose intolerance.

Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance: Cocoa Powder

Studies have shown that cocoa powder and sugar, or chocolate powders can help your body digest lactose by slowing the pace at which the stomach empties. This means the slower your stomach empties, the less lactose that enters your stomach at once which in turn means fewer symptoms caused by lactose intolerance.

Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance: Sardines

Sardines are high in calcium and if you are unable to drink milk or eat dairy products, by eating sardines, you are getting the calcium your body needs. Other foods that are high in calcium include canned salmon, tofu, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, cooked dried beans, dried apricots and sesame seed products.

Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance: Chocolate Milk

If you are lactose intolerant, you may be able to tolerate flavored milk better than regular milk. Also, the calcium in chocolate milk is just as much as in regular milk.

Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance: Hard Cheese

If you can't help yourself and love cheese, choose hard cheeses such as Colby, Swiss, and cheddar. The harder the cheese, the lower it's lactose content. Avoid soft cheese and spread able cheeses such as cottage cheese and cream cheese.

Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance: Soy Milk

Soy milk might take some time getting used to since you are so used to cows milk but it won't cause any symptoms from lactose intolerance. If you have a hard time getting used to the taste, try adding it in pudding or other recipes calling for milk.

Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance: Yogurt

Research studies have shown that yogurt is a good product to include in your diet if you are lactose intolerant even though it is high in lactose content. Yogurt contains bacterial cultures which produce some of the lactase needed for proper digestion. If you can tolerate yogurt, it is a good food to include in your diet.

Lactose intolerance doesn't mean you have to stop consuming milk products altogether. With some education and proper planning, you can still enjoy many dairy products.

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Home Remedies for Lactose Intolerance