You’re going into this thinking it’s going to be a scientific piece to start of your week. If that’s not what you’re looking for let’s cut to the chase and answer the questions. Yes and no! Yes, Lactose is sugar, and no, it’s not okay for keto. Now if that’s all you wanted… have a great week and check back tomorrow. If you would like to carry on with the science portion of our blog, buckle in while we answer: is lactose sugar?
So… Is Lactose Sugar?
It is. Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar that is in milk and milk products. There is a long-held belief that lactose is only found in cows’ milk, but it is present in all animal milk like goat, sheep, and even humans. Babies can be lactose intolerant to their mother’s milk causing symptoms like adults with lactose issues.
Lactose is sometimes called a complex sugar as it can be very difficult to digest resulting in the above forementioned lactose intolerance diagnosed by doctors as lactose malabsorption. Before we breakdown what that means and looks like, we can now easily answer our second question.
Is Lactose Okay for Keto?
If we’ve determined that lactose is sugar, it’s easy to answer this with a hard no. Sugar is a conduit to spike insulin levels. If lactose is a sugar than every time you drink that glass of milk your body is producing that lovely weight gain hormone known as insulin. Lactose is very low on the glycemic index, so it doesn’t cause sudden insulin spikes, but why raise your blood sugar levels at all if you don’t have to?
One of the major goals of keto is to get off that insulin roller coaster, so milk is out. But… some milk products are safe. That’s right. There are several milk products that are keto friendly. Matured or old cheeses have very little to no lactose present. For instance, regular milk averages out to 5% lactose, but parmesan cheese is well under 1%. Other safe best are things like cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, and sour cream.
What is Lactose Intolerance?
Moving back to this common issue, lactose intolerance is the inability for the small intestines to absorb the sugar. People with lactose intolerance suffer most commonly from diarrhea and upset stomach after consuming something with lactose. There are several medications and dietary changes you can make to ease the symptoms. According to recent literature, lactose intolerance is more of an uncomfortable hinderance than a disease.
Where this becomes tricky for people is lactose is a very easy sugar to work with and soluble in most liquids. This leads way to manufacturers placing it in all kinds of items found on shelves today. Cereals, pancake mix, deli-meats, instant soups, and some prescriptions medicines are all common recipients of lactose. People who are sensitive need to be aware it’s not just animal milk now.
Is Lactose Sugar Free Stuff Okay?
It’s okay for people with lactose intolerance, but for keto it’s another hard… nope. Not to mention the process to get the lactose out of milk is questionable at best. Basically, dairies are adding enzymes to the raw product to break down the lactose into simpler sugars, however those sugars are glucose and galactose. You’re still taking in sugar, it’s just an easier sugar for your gut to digest.
For keto that leaves lactose free off the table. Sugar is sugar. Especially glucose which is as high on the glycemic index as you can go. Coming it at 100 there will be insulin spikes and higher blood sugar levels around the corner. When it comes to lactose free food it could be the cure is worse than the disease. So, to sum it all up we’re back where we started with those two simple questions. Yes, and no.
Bill
