If you are lactose intolerant, your body cannot digest sugar properly.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Lactose is a type of sugar found in milk and cheese. When you are lactose intolerant, your body does not digest sugar properly.
Hopkins Medicine explains that this type of intolerance occurs because the small intestine does not produce an enzyme called lactase, which is needed to break down lactose. There are two forms of lactose intolerance, namely primary and secondary.
Reported by digestive for health, Friday (23/9/2022), with Lactose intolerance First, people are born producing lactase, but as they age and consume less milk, their bodies produce less lactase, leading to intolerance. Secondary lactose intolerance occurs when something, such as an infection or injury, causes the small intestine to stop producing as much lactase as possible.
When the body does not produce lactase due to lactose intolerance, it can cause stomach pain, nausea, bloating, gas, and diarrhea after consuming dairy products, including cheese. Having lactose intolerance makes it difficult for people who like to eat cheese, but the good news is there are some cheese that you may be able to tolerate.
Not all cheeses are the same in terms of lactose content. Hard cheeses, such as cheddar and Swiss, have less lactose and you may tolerate them more easily than other cheeses.
WebMD reported that Parmesan is lactose-free and should be well tolerated among people with lactose intolerance. There are also lactose-free cheeses on the market that do not contain lactose. Many of these products are made with coconut or cashew oil.
To help with lactose intolerance, you can try adding over-the-counter products that contain lactase to your diet to help your body digest lactose. Generally, the product is taken before eating the cheese.
However, the Mayo Clinic reports that this product does not provide relief for anyone suffering from lactose intolerance. You may also want to add probiotics to your diet, as they help keep your digestive system healthy and, as a result, can help your gut digest lactose.
