Lactose Free is Healthy

The common misconception among many people is that living lactose free means that you are an unhealthy person.  Many assume that because milk protein is removed from a person’s diet that they will experience vitamin and calcium deficiencies later in life.  Thankfully that isn’t true.  As long as a person who is lactose intolerant maintains a healthy, well balanced, diet then living lactose free can be as healthy as living with lactose.

Surprisingly enough many people in the United States are lactose intolerant.  Over 70% of individuals that are of Asian and African decent currently suffer from lactose intolerance and are still living very healthy lives.  The key to living this healthy life is eating a variety of very diverse foods on a regular basis that are rich in vitamins and minerals.

In order to make up for the vitamins and minerals that many are not receiving through milk protein it is important to eat foods that are rich in calcium but that do not contain milk protein.  Starting out the morning with a nice bowl of fortified cereal can often make up for almost a days worth of calcium especially if fortified soy milk is used which is also lactose free (laktosefreie Ernährung). 

Instead of having a cup of milk to drink having a cup of fortified soy milk can also help provide the calcium and other vitamins and minerals needed to avoid any sort of dangerous deficiencies.

However, there are many individuals who cannot tolerate fortified soy milk or cereal.  A few people who have suffered extremely negative reactions to milk have a strong aversion to anything that resembles milk including lactose free milk and soy milks.  Thankfully there are many other foods that some of us eat almost everyday that provide our bodies with large amounts of calcium and other minerals found in milk protein.

Fortified orange juice is highly recommended and a great substitute for a cup of milk.  These days fortified orange juice includes all of the vitamins found in a glass of milk and are targeted to those with lactose intolerance.  If you do not like starting out your breakfast with fortified cereal or you just are not a cereal fan there is another alternative. 

Now fortified waffles are available in most grocery stores that are also designed to help give those with lactose intolerance a serving of calcium that would have otherwise been obtained by milk and other milk products.

There are also many vegetables that are very rich in calcium and minerals.  Spinach is highly recommended to those on a lactose free or even vegan diet.  Spinach is a great source of calcium and many other vitamins that are vital to growing and maintaining ones health.  Other greens are also a great source of calcium. 

Cooked turnip greens and collard greens are highly recommended as a source of calcium.  For those that do not like going through the chore of cleaning turnip greens and collard greens they are now available frozen, canned, and even fresh in a pre-washed package.