Lactose-Free Milk

Milk Alternatives

Milk Alternatives: I am going to do a weekly post on different milk alternatives each Monday until I run out of articles to write.  

Regular Skim vs Skim Fairlife

Many American’s suffer from lactose intolerance.  The risk of suffering from this ailment increases with your age.  The simple pleasure of cheese, milk, and ice cream can make the sufferer quite ill in little no time after consumption.  I could not imagine being unable to enjoy these treats.  You could take lactase pills or lactose-free dairy products.  One example is Fairlife Milk which I wrote about last week.  Another example is Lactaid or the look-alikes in your grocery store.

What is Lactose Intolerance?

Lactaid

Lactose is the natural sugar found in dairy such as cow’s milk.  Lactose is composed of two sugars called glucose and galactose.  This disorder is caused by a shortage of an enzyme in the small intestine that breaks down lactose.  When a person with lactose intolerance consumes more lactose than their body is able to handle at one time, they experience symptoms like bloating, flatulence, and loose, watery stools.

Lactose-free dairy foods like the milk Lactaid are made from cow’s milk.  They have the lactose either digested or removed.  The problem is that they contain the milk proteins and thus cannot be eaten by those who have a milk allergy.  Those that have the intolerance can drink it and lactose-free milk has the same nutritional value as standard milk.

• Nutrition: Lactaid: Per serving (1 cup): 90 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 13 g sugars with 0 g lactose, 8 g protein, 30% calcium.
• Advantages: Has a taste similar to milk.  Cow’s milk is loaded with nutrients, and it’s also a naturally good source of quality whey protein. It also has no added sugars, unlike many plant-based kinds of milk.  It’s the standard for most recipes, from soups and sauces to smoothies and baked goods.  It can be found in multiple brands and flavors.
• Disadvantages: It is still dairy and should be avoided if you have a religious, personal, and allergic reason to avoid milk.

The bottom line:  Lactaid is a milk that is lactose-free and still contains the nutritional benefits of milk with none of the lactose that can make the lactose intolerance miserable. This milk is less creamy than Fairlife skim or nonfat milk and thus feels more watery.  It also is not as sweet as Fairlife or many of the nut milk.  It also has less protein and more sugar than Fairlife. I would not recommend it over Fairlife milk, but it might be an option if you want less protein.