Cheeses You Can Eat if You Are Lactose Intolerant

Cheese is one of the healthiest and most versatile foods to eat. From pizza to bagels and cream cheese to decadent and delicious cheesecake, cheese is a large part of a western diet.

But some people cannot eat cheese because their body cannot handle the lactose that is found in dairy. In fact, there are cheeses that people who are Lactose intolerant can safely eat without side effects, reported HuffPost.

Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Entirely Nourished, told HuffPost that lactose intolerance is different from a milk allergy. “Anyone with a dairy allergy should avoid these cheeses entirely,” she said.

What is Lactose and Lactose Intolerance
Lactose, or milk sugar is found in the milk of mammals like cows, goats, and even in humans, according to the International Food Council. Lactose is a natural sugar that is digested in the small intestine, broken down by lactase and the glucose goes into your cells. But not everyone easily digests lactose. People who produce too little of the lactase enzyme are considered lactose intolerant.

People who are lactose intolerant experience gas, bloating, cramps, and diarrhea. But even if you have this condition you do not have to forgo all dairy products.

Safe Cheeses to Eat
There are several types of cheeses that you can eat in moderation if you are lactose intolerant, according to Real Simple.

“As a general rule, the longer a cheese has aged, the less lactose it will have; over time, the lactose in cheese will convert to lactic acid,” Catherine Rall, a registered dietitian at Happy V told Real Simple. So those with particularly sensitive stomachs will want to avoid creamier varieties such as ricotta or cottage cheese at all costs.

Cheeses that have more than 3 grams of lactose per 100 grams are considered high lactose foods, stresses HuffPost, so be careful what you pick. There are plenty of low lactose, no lactose, and nondairy cheese substitutes to choose from.

The best cheeses to choose are parmesan which has 0 grams of lactose in a one-ounce serving and is a good source of vitamins and minerals. Another cheese is cheddar, which is naturally low in lactose; only 1 gram per 1.5 ounce serving.

Cheeses that contain 1 percent lactose are made of goat’s milk. Routhenstein told HuffPost that “Its fat structure and mild acidity make it gentler on digestion.”

Other lower lactose cheeses include aged Gouda, Havarti, camembert, Swiss, and feta. There is something for everyone. There is low or no Lactaid milk, yogurt, and cheeses that you can enjoy without suffering cramps and pain.