Can Lactose Intolerant People Drink Goat Milk?
Lactose intolerant people may be able to drink goat milk, as it contains less lactose than cow’s milk. If you are lactose intolerant and are considering trying goat milk, it is best to start with a small amount and see how your body reacts. If you experience any symptoms, you should stop drinking goat milk and consult with your healthcare provider.
Those with moderate intolerance can probably enjoy a moderate amount of goats milk and byproducts — particularly yogurts and goats cheeses, as these have considerably less lactose. If you find goats milk is still uncomfortable for you, you might try lower-lactose fermented goats milk products, like yogurt and cheese, which are traditionally more tolerable than plain milk. Of course, if you are cutting out dairy to follow a vegan diet–a diet that is free of animal products–then goat and sheeps milk products will continue to be off limits. Whether goats milk is OK to drink is entirely up to you and why you are cutting dairy from your diet.
It is important to note that many types of cheese are naturally low in lactose, or contain a non-measurable amount, regardless if made from goat, cow, or sheeps milk. While most people are aware that cows milk, and products made with cows milk, contains high amounts of lactose, many question whether goats milk, and, by extension, goat cheese, contains any lactose. Goats milk, just like cows milk, contains a sugar called lactose, which may be hard for humans to digest, leading to symptoms like cramps, gas, bloating, and vomiting.
The reason it can be hard for us to digest dairy is because, as we get older, we begin producing less of an enzyme called lactase, which is responsible for breaking down lactose — a complex sugar found in milk. For many people, after childhood, their bodies stop producing the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose in milk. Many will lose the ability to produce this enzyme, and since the lactose cannot be broken up, it passes to the large intestine. Most lactose is found in the whey, the liquid that is separated from solid cheese curds in the cheesemaking process.
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In breastmilk, lactose is a major carbohydrate, and babies absorb and digest the lactose in their mothers milk. Breastfed babies can benefit from drops of a lactase replacement medication, which helps their bodies digest lactose from breast milk. Lactase replacement drops may be added to the milk or taken right before eating a food that contains lactose.
Take smaller portions of foods that include lactose, since even lactase-intolerant people can tolerate 4-6 ounces of milk when consumed with meals. Researchers think most lactose-intolerant individuals generally tolerate one cup (8 oz, or 250ml) of milk a day (3).
| It is Affecting | 25% of Americans and as many as 75% of the global population |
| lactase-intolerant people can tolerate | 4-6 ounces of milk when consumed with meals |
| What it Contains | It contains around 10% less fat than cows milk |
Although lactose intolerance is the most common intolerance of cows milk, affecting about 25% of Americans and as many as 75% of the global population, some people have difficulty digesting cows milk independently of the lactose. Lactose intolerance can happen to different degrees, with some people being unable to metabolize milk, but able to still eat other dairy products (such as yogurt and cheese) because these have lower levels of lactose because of how they are processed. Eating less foods that contain lactose, or skipping it entirely, may mean that you are missing out on some vitamins and minerals in your diet, and may increase your risk of complications.
Because lactose makes up as much as 8% of milks composition per pound, people who have lactase deficiencies generally need to refrain from eating milk and milk products, or supplement their diets with lactase before eating or drinking milk products. Those who have a primary lactase deficiency may have better tolerance of high-fat dairy products, such as whole milk and ice cream, compared with lower-fat dairy products, which contain higher amounts of lactose. A formula that does not contain lactose, such as soy-based formula, may be needed for children who have rare, severe conditions, such as congenital alactasia. Medication Some prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, and over-the-counter supplements may contain a small amount of lactose.
Some ingredients may look like they have lactose when they do not, like lactic acid, sodium lactate, and cocoa butter. The words lactose will not necessarily be listed separately on a food label, so you need to look at ingredient lists for milk, whey, cheese, butter, and dairy products like cream. You are likely to be pretty surprised at some of the information in each, since sheeps milk is by no means the same.
You may notice LACTAID(r) milk has a slightly sweeter flavor than normal milk, and this is because the sugar in the milk (lactose) is broken down to a form that is easily absorbed by the body. The inclusion means you may need to drink less goats milk in order to get the equivalent amount of calcium — less consumption combined with the lower level of lactose in goats milk might just be a winning combination.
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While there is no scientific study supporting that, scientists think another reason some people are more comfortable with goat milk — aside from the lower lactose level — is because it is easier to digest. In fact, this paper from MedlinePlus, an online database of the National Institutes of Health, even suggests that goats milk, taken with a meal, is a easier-to-digest alternative for people with lactose intolerant conditions. The easy digestibility of full-fat, raw milk products gives those with uncomfortable experiences with processed dairy products a tasty, natural alternative.
Goat milk has smaller fat globules and does not contain agglutinins, allowing it to remain naturally homogenized, thereby eliminating the dangers associated with homogenization. According to Woolwich Dairy, a Canadian company that sources goats milk from over 200 farms, unfortified, raw goats milknaturally contains fewer lactose levels than lactose levels commonly seen in cows milk at 2 percent. The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) added that, although certain levels of lactose intolerance were found on multiple occasions, questions remained about the magnitude if any if any difference between goat and cow milk.
Why Can lactose intolerant people drink goat’s milk?
Some people may find goat’s milk to be simpler to digest than cow’s milk because the fat molecules in it are shorter. How “safe” goat cheese is for you to include in your diet depends on how severe your lactose sensitivity is. If you are lactose intolerant, feel free to substitute dairy milk with lactose-free milk, soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk.
What milk is good for lactose intolerance?
You are welcome to use lactose-free milk, soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk as a dairy alternative if you are lactose intolerant. Just keep in mind that such milks only include one gramme of protein, whereas a serving of milk contains eight grammes, so you might need to add protein.
Does ginger help with lactose intolerance?
The amount of stomach acid that ginger supports is similarly high. Inflammation in the intestines can be reduced by ginger, which also relieves spasms. Boil a few ginger root slices in some plain water, drain the mixture, and drink it as tea to help with lactose intolerance symptoms.