The Science Behind Lactose Intolerance: What You Need to Know

Do you love the taste of dairy milk – but dairy milk doesn’t love you back?

Whether you enjoy a banana smoothie, a café latte, milk on your morning cereal, a splash in your English Breakfast tea, or making creamy sauces for pasta, consuming milk is a daily part of life for most of us. Sadly, however, some people just can’t consume dairy milk (and certain other dairy products) without then paying a price with digestive upset.

This is due to lactose intolerance.

What is Lactose?

Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar found in milk and several other dairy products. Ordinarily, it is broken down in the digestive system (gut) by the enzyme lactase, which is produced in the cells lining the small intestine. After being broken down, lactose enters the bloodstream as glucose and helps fuel many of the body’s processes.

What is Lactose Intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is a set of symptoms that occurs when the body does not produce enough lactase enzyme. This means that the body can’t digest lactose properly. Instead, the undigested lactose sugars progress through the digestive tract from the small intestine to the large intestine (bowel or colon), where they attract water and are then fermented by the gut bacteria (microbiome) that reside there.

(Lactose intolerance is not the same as milk allergy, which is an immune response to cow’s milk protein. Unlike lactose intolerance, this can be a serious medical condition.)

Undigested lactose in the colon can cause several unpleasant symptoms:

  • Bloating
  • Excessive flatulence (gas)
  • Abdominal pain and cramps
  • Nausea and
  • Diarrhoea

Most symptoms come on between 30 minutes and a few hours after consuming products with lactose, and even a small glass of milk can trigger symptoms. The need to use the bathroom with lactose intolerance can be sudden and uncomfortable. The more lactose consumed, the worse the symptoms.

Many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of lactose.
In Australia, as much as 25% of the population is lactose intolerant, and women are significantly more likely to be affected than men.

Causes of Lactose Intolerance

Most people can easily digest lactose in infancy and early childhood, and as we age, there is less lactase activity in the gut.

There are several causes of lactose intolerance, and it can be temporary or long-term.

  • Genetics – according to Dieticians Australia , approximately 1 in 20 Caucasians experience the condition to some degree. People with Scandinavian backgrounds are only 1% likely to be affected. It is much more common in people of Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern, West African, East Asian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander descent, as these groups tend to produce less lactase enzyme. Their likelihood of having lactose intolerance is between 70-95%.
  • Intestinal inflammation due to untreated Coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and similar can compromise the ability of lactase enzyme to work properly.
  • Intestinal parasites may temporarily reduce the level of lactase enzyme in the small intestine.
  • Gastroenteritis can impact the production of lactase enzyme for several weeks thereafter.

Health Implications of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance symptoms are similar to those of many other health conditions (including some serious ones). It’s a good idea to have a check-up with your GP to be certain.

Lactose intolerance in and of itself is not physically threatening; it does not damage the bowel wall and there are no long-term complications – it’s just incredibly unpleasant. But it can, for some people, have severe psychosocial effects – e.g., avoiding going out due to the unpredictable nature of when (and if) symptoms will hit.

For people who do experience this condition, dramatically minimising or cutting dairy out of their diet has its own significant health implications. This is because dairy is an essential food group. Milk and milk products are rich in an array of nutrients, including calcium and protein, vitamins B2, B12, and A, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, zinc, and amino acids. These are critical for building and maintaining strong, healthy, functioning bones, muscles, organs, and nerves.

Consuming milk and other dairy is a major step towards overall health and well-being. While non-dairy plant-based alternatives to milk do exist, they don’t deliver the nutritional profile of milk, nor are they a natural whole-food like dairy milk is.

Most people with lactose intolerance can still tolerate a small amount of dairy – depending on how much lactase their body produces. Full cream milk contains less lactose than Lite or Skim Milk, hard cheeses contain much less than soft or fresh cheeses. Natural yoghurts rich in live bacteria (especially lactobacillus) are great for helping combat lactose intolerance. It’s also important to remember that many processed foods contain lactose.

Simply cutting dairy out of your diet may seem like the easiest solution to lactose intolerance, but surely there has to be a better option?

Try Norco Lactose Free Milk

Carefully crafted with the lactase enzyme that removes lactose, Norco Lactose Free Milk is an award-winning milk that delivers the delicious, creamy milk taste you love, as well as the essential nutrients of dairy milk, but without the problematic digestive issues that can accompany its consumption.

Choose Norco Lactose Free Milk:

  • Lactose-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Permeate-free
  • No added sugar
  • Great source of calcium and other essential nutrients
  • Good source of protein
  • Tastes fantastic
  • Ideal for use in cooking
  • Superior to non-dairy milk alternatives

See more about the health benefits of our lactose-free milk here.

Easy to digest and available in Full Cream and Lite options, Norco is proudly 100% Australian Farmer-Owned. You’ll reap the many health benefits dairy provides while enjoying the creamy, comforting taste you’ve loved since growing up on dairy milk. You’ll also be actively supporting Australia’s dairy farmers – what could be better than that?