If I am lactose intolerant, do I have to ditch dairy?

Nope. Lactose free does not have to mean dairy-free! While lactose intolerance can be a pain, there are so many options on the market today.You’ve have literally never had so many options. But we’re here to tell you that lactose free doesn’t mean dairy-free, if that’s not for you, and there are a few things you should know before considering ditching dairy entirely…  

You can have milk without lactose

Yes, you can actually have milk (and ice cream, of course) that is free of lactose! Lactose is a double sugar found in milk. Our bodies need the enzyme called lactase to break lactose down into the single, digestible sugars called glucose and galactose. Those who are lactose intolerant do not produce enough of this enzyme to digest lactose this way, so by adding lactase back into dairy, it can be made lactose free. This is how we do it over at Beckon. There are other methods, such as ultrafiltration and nano-filtration, that can be used as well. It’s a natural process or as we call it… magic!

For more information, check out resources like this one from the NIH.

You may lose out on important nutrients

Your mom wasn’t lying when she told you how important it is to drink your milk! Milk is a whole food (read: no questionable sub-ingredients) that contains natural vitamins, calcium, protein and other nutrients. The calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in real dairy helps protect your teeth from decay and your bones from diseases, like osteoporosis, down the road.  

Some of your favorite dairy foods are naturally lactose free

This next piece of information might rock your world in the best kind of way. Some cheese is actually lactose free! The harder a cheese, the less lactose it has, because harder cheeses have less liquid where lactose is found and have been aged for longer. Extra sharp cheddar, Parmesan, Pecorino, aged gouda and other very hard cheeses can have essentially no lactose. For more low lactose foods, check out this article.

We at Beckon are all about finding the diet that allows you to eat the way you want. If that means going vegan — great! Is cutting out dairy important to you? Go for it. But if you don’t want to give up your pizza, coffee creamer, and ice cream due to lactose intolerance, we’re excited to tell you that you don’t have to!