• What is lactose and how to tell if youre lactose intolerant (without going crazy)

  

  Do you bloat after drinking a cappuccino? Do you feel tired, have a hard stomach, or get cramps after a pizza with mozzarella?

  Maybe you’re not just “sensitive”… maybe it’s lactose.

  But before you cut out all dairy or self-diagnose intolerances on Google, let’s clarify things.

  In this article, you’ll learn:

  1. What lactose really is
  2. Why it can cause problems
  3. How to recognize intolerance (without going crazy)
  4. What you can eat (spoiler: more than you think)
  5. And what practical solutions exist

• 🧪 What is lactose (and what does it do in the body)

  

  Lactose is the natural sugar present in cows, goats, and sheeps milk, and all their derivatives (mozzarella, ricotta, yogurt, etc.). It is a disaccharide : a molecule composed of glucose and galactose , which must be broken down by the enzyme lactase , produced in the small intestine, to be absorbed.

• 🚫 The problem? Lactase levels can decrease over time.

  

  Lactase is present in large quantities in newborns (to digest breast milk). But as people grow, its production decreases or runs out in many people .

  Result? The lactose is not digested → it ends up in the intestine → it ferments → producing gas, bloating, pain, loose stools, or diarrhea.

• 😣 Symptoms of lactose intolerance

  

  Intolerance is not an allergy (which involves the immune system), but a digestive problem .

  Typical symptoms appear within 30 minutes – 2 hours of lactose ingestion:

  1. Abdominal swelling
  2. Flatulence, cramps, pain
  3. Diarrhea or loose stools
  4. Nausea
  5. In some cases: headache, tiredness, feeling of heaviness

  ⚠️ The severity varies : some people cant tolerate even a teaspoon of milk, while others can resist a Margherita pizza.

• 🧠 How to Know if Youre Intolerant (Without Going Crazy)

  

  ✅ Phase 1: Listen to your body

  Keep a food diary for 1 week and write down:

  1. What you eat (especially milk, yogurt, butter, cheese)
  2. How do you feel afterwards?
  3. What time do symptoms appear?

  ✅ Phase 2: Try a lactose-free week

  Without becoming obsessive, eliminate the main lactose-rich foods (milk, yogurt, fresh cheeses) for 5-7 days.

  → Are the symptoms improving?

  ✅ Phase 3: Reintroduction Test

  Reintroduce 1 low-lactose food (e.g. aged parmesan)

  → No symptoms? Try a richer one (e.g., milk).

  → Are your symptoms returning? You probably have an intolerance.

• 🧪 Official medical tests

  

  If you want clinical confirmation, you can do:

  1. Lactose breath test : measures hydrogen in exhaled air after controlled ingestion. The most common.
  2. Genetic testing : This assesses your predisposition. It doesnt tell you whether youre intolerant, but whether you might be.
  3. Blood tests : less used.

  You can get them in hospitals or private laboratories, often without a prescription.

• 🧀 All the foods you (probably) can still eat

  

  Good news: Not everything that comes from milk contains lactose.

  Food
  Cows milk	✅ High quantity
  Yogurt	✅ But less (ferments help)	Sometimes tolerated
  Mozzarella, stracchino, ricotta	✅ Medium-high
  Aged Parmesan (24m)	❌ Almost absent	Tolerated by many
  Butter	✅ Tracks	Often well tolerated
  Aged cheeses (grana, pecorino, etc.)	❌ Almost zero	Safe in small doses
  Lactose-free products	❌ Safe	Easier digestion
  Vegetable milk (soy, oat, almond, etc.)	❌ Zero lactose	Ideal alternative

  🟢 Today there are lactose-free milk, lactose-free yogurt, vegetable cream , vegan mozzarella…

  The taste has improved a lot from 10 years ago.

  🛑 Warning: lactose is also “hidden”

  Also found in:

  1. Packaged cured meats (mortadella, sausages, cooked hams)
  2. Industrial bread and baked goods
  3. Snacks, snacks, bars
  4. Supplements and medicines (always read the excipients!)

  👉 Read the label : if you see “milk, whey, lactose” among the ingredients, it contains lactose .

  🧩 Intolerance or something else?

  Many people believe they are lactose intolerant, but in reality:

  1. They suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, and milk makes the symptoms worse.
  2. They react to fats, additives or sugars found in industrial dairy products
  3. They are intolerant to multiple sugars (FODMAPs), not just lactose

  👉 Withdrawing milk doesnt always solve everything. Observation and method are required.

  🛠 Practical solutions

  1. Try lactose-free or plant-based milk
  2. Choose aged cheeses (which contain very little of it)
  3. Avoid drinking large quantities of milk on an empty stomach.
  4. Combine lactose with meals rich in fiber and good fats
  5. Consider lactase enzyme capsules , if you know you will eat lactose but want to avoid symptoms

  ❤️ Living well even without lactose (or almost)

  Being lactose intolerant is not a condemnation , nor does it mean saying goodbye to taste.

  With the right alternatives, a little attention to labels, and some practical tests on yourself, you can:

  1. Eating with pleasure
  2. Avoid the hassles
  3. Dont give up on conviviality

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Data di inserimento 30 giu 2025

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