Q: My partner has said for years he thinks he’s lactose intolerant. He can fairly easily digest skinny milk (i.e. only 0.10 grams of fat per 100ml), as well as goat’s cheese. He finds the biggest culprits for upsetting his stomach are yoghurt made with cow’s milk (both regular and low-fat) and cow’s milk cheeses.
Not sure if this is actually lactose intolerance or a milk allergy. I’m hoping you might be able to explain the difference?
A: Lactose intolerance occurs because of the loss of the body’s ability to produce lactase. Lactose (the sugar found in milk) is made up of two sugar molecules: glucose and galactose. Lactase splits the sugar for proper digestion and absorption. Without being split, the sugars are not broken down in the small intestine and pass to the colon, where they are used by bacteria for food and the byproducts can cause gas, bloating and sometimes diarrhea. Milk Allergy vs. Lactose Intolerance
