Lactose-reduced milk is treated with lactase to break down lactose, making it easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance. It comes in different styles and can be found online. It tends to be sweeter and may require adjustments in cooking. Higher-fat dairy products have less lactose, and some believe raw milk is easier to digest.
Lactose-reduced milk is milk that has been specially treated to remove or greatly reduce naturally occurring lactose. Most people with milk intolerance actually react to lactose in milk and some of these individuals may drink lactose-reduced milk instead of regular milk. If you’ve been diagnosed with lactose or lactose intolerance, you should ask your doctor about the allowable ranges of lactose in your diet, as everyone has different tolerance levels.
To make this dairy product, the milk is treated with lactase to break down the lactose. Lactase is an enzyme that digests lactose, converting it into sugars. Many people already have lactase in their bodies; they use this enzyme to digest milk and other dairy products when they are consumed. By adding lactase directly to milk, the manufacturer can reduce the lactose that the body has to process. Some people with lactose intolerance also take lactase pills when they intend to consume dairy products.
Just like regular milk, lactose-reduced milk comes in different styles. For example, fat and fat-free versions are available in some markets, and some companies produce lactose-free milk in addition to milk with reduced lactose levels. These companies have also produced condensed and powdered milk with reduced lactose, to make more options available for people with lactose intolerance.
Although lactose-reduced milk can be consumed just like regular milk, it tends to be sweeter due to the conversion of lactose into sugars. This sweet taste can be a little surprising to people who aren’t used to it, and it can even impact cooking. When cooking with low-lactose milk, you may want to reduce the sugar in the recipe or make a small batch to see what the food looks like before committing to a large batch.
For people who cannot find lactose-reduced milk in their markets, this product can be found by searching online retailers. Most retailers will ship powdered or condensed milk, which is highly shelf stable, and some may also offer next-day delivery of fresh milk to nearby regions. In terms of regular milk, higher-fat dairy products tend to have less lactose, although the lactose content is still high enough to make someone with lactose intolerance sick unless they take lactase pills. Some people also believe that raw milk is easier to digest as it often has a lower lactose level.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN