Cheese is a food product known across the globe. In America alone, people consume annually an estimate 35 pounds of cheese per person. Despite its popularity, there are quite a number of people out there who can't enjoy cheese and its other dairy brethren: the lactose intolerant. If you're lactose intolerant, you have probably avoided dairy products most of your life. Turns out, you can still have cheese and other dairy products without the hassle of lactose intolerance's usual symptoms.
Lactose intolerance is a condition wherein the body cannot process the lactose found in dairy. The cause of lactose intolerance is the inability of the small intestine to produce sufficient lactase. Lactase is the enzyme produced by the small intestine that breaks down lactose - the main sugar in dairy products. Lactose intolerance happens to children and adults alike.
It can also be developed as you grow older due to the intestine producing less lactase. This is also partly the reason why some people are more sensitive to lactose compared to others. In fact, almost 75 percent of people across the globe suffer from too little lactase to some degree.
To determine which cheese can be eaten by lactose intolerant individuals, we must check the lactose percentages found in the cheese. Steve Carper's Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse provides such numbers that we can use for guidance.
Here are some favorite cheeses that the lactose intolerant can enjoy:
Brie:0-2%
Camembert: 0- 1.8 %
Cheddar: 0-2.1%
Cream Cheese: 0.4-2.9%
Gouda: 0-2.2%
Muenster: 0 - 1.1%
Swiss (pasteurized process): 0-2.1%
As a general rule of thumb, you want to avoid fresh cheese because the fresher the cheese the more lactose it contains. Cheese with higher fat also has less lactose. Aged cheese is also good in varying portions because it has had time to convert the lactose into lactic acid that is easier for the body to process.
Finally, dairy with less than two to three percent lactose is a safe number for most lactose intolerant people so long as consumption is done with moderation. Again, some people handle lactose differently. Others can be more sensitive to lactose compared to most. But it's not impossible to enjoy cheese. So long as you make sure to check the lactose content beforehand and so long as you understand your body's limits then you're well away to enjoying one of life's greatest pleasures.
