Milk intolerance: what you should know about it

More and more people in Germany suffer from milk intolerance. Children are also often affected. We show you which symptoms can occur and how you can alternatively eat if you are intolerant to milk.

Interesting facts about milk intolerance

Lactose intolerance affects 75 percent of the world's adult population.

• As humans, we are normally able to absorb and utilize lactose from birth. The enzyme lactase, which our body produces, helps us here.
• Lactase splits milk sugar into usable simple sugars galactose and glucose. If the enzyme is missing in the body, the lactose reaches the colon without being split, where it causes unpleasant symptoms.
• A lack of the enzyme can be congenital or acquired. Lactase production decreases in activity over the course of our lives, which can lead to poorer milk sugar utilization.
• Diseases of the digestive system can also damage the cells in the small intestine that form lactase so that lactose intolerance is the result. Bacterial intestinal infections, celiac disease or small intestine parasites are examples of such diseases.
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy, malnutrition and chronic alcohol abuse are also possible causes.

Therapy for lactose intolerance

If you are intolerant to milk sugar, changing your diet can help.

• If lactose intolerance has health effects, dairy products should be largely avoided.
• As a milk substitute, you can use soy, oat or rice milk. These are also suitable for cooking, baking or for making pudding and yoghurt. Soy and oat cream result in creamy sauces and can sometimes be beaten stiff.
• Goat or sheep cheese are better tolerated than cow's milk products and are also suitable for gratinating gratins or pizza. Many retailers offer vegan cheese and vegetable margarine replaces the butter.
• Special lactose-free foods have also been on the market for a long time. From yogurt to pizza to creamy sauces, there is something tasty for every lactose-intolerant connoisseur.
• If you don't want to limit yourself when choosing food, you can use lactase tablets to replace the missing enzyme. You can get these from the pharmacy.