Not All Cheeses Contain Lactose
American food is commonly associated with greasy burgers, fries, or extremely large cups of soda. It is not surprising then that dishes containing cheese have been becoming popular among Americans for the past few years. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service shows that since 1970, the amount of cheese manufactured in the U.S. has almost tripled, with mozzarella and cheddar accounting for most of this shocking rise. With the increased manufacturing and consumption of cheese in America, this may pose a dilemma for those who are lactose intolerant.
Lactose, a sugar that is found in dairy products, is broken down by an enzyme (lactase) into simpler forms of sugar (glucose and galactose) for energy use. Those who are lactose intolerant experience digestive problems following the consumption of dairy due to a lack of the lactase enzyme. Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, or constipation, although symptoms and severity depends from person to person. The potentially harsh effects of lactose can steer those who are lactose intolerant away from consuming any sort of dairy products, but cheese is in fact lower in lactose levels than milk, cream and yogurt. A 1 ounce serving of cheese contains less than 2 grams of lactose, while a 1 cup serving of milk contains 12 to 13 grams of lactose.
Even among the many types and subtypes of cheese, there are varying levels of lactose levels inside, meaning that even a lactose intolerant person will be able to consume these cheeses (depending on how sensitive the individual is)! More interestingly, the cheese-making process plays a major role in determining the lactose levels in the various types of cheese. Although different types of cheeses would require different processes, the overall idea is the same-- to remove the whey (the liquid part) from the milk, and then acidify and salt the remaining curd. In fact, about 97% of lactose is already removed from the cheese when the whey is drained. Following this, fermentation occurs, which begins as soon as the lactic acid bacterial metabolizes the lactose from the milk. Fermentation only stops when all the available lactose has been converted into lactic acid, and any lactose that still remains after the whey is drained will be gradually converted into lactic acid, but just with a lengthy aging process.
Cheeses such as brie, Parmesan, cheddar, and Monterey Jack contain such a minuscule amount of lactose that is is almost undetectable. On the other hand, wet cheeses such as ricotta and cream cheese contain higher levels of lactose, as well as higher amounts of whey to begin with. This is because these fresh cheeses like ricotta and mozzarella are processed much quicker than aged cheeses, meaning that more whey is retained and therefore less time is allowed for lactose to be converted into lactic acid.
This news may come as surprising to the lactose intolerant population, but it also comes with a caveat. While cream cheese, for example, contains only 1 gram of lactose per serving, most people do not consume cheese at the suggested serving sizes. Due to the wide availability of cheese and portion sizes in America, it is safe to say that most are consuming more than a suggested serving size of cheese. This means that even though cheeses such as brie and Parmesan are safe for the lactose intolerant, excessive consumption may still lead to the same symptoms as cheeses higher in lactose levels.
It is also recommended that even when eating supposedly low-lactose cheeses, it is best to taste a small amount first and allow time for your body to react and respond. Every person’s body responds differently to lactose, and so one person may have no problems with a type of cheese while another person will be expressing severe symptoms. However, knowing that not all cheeses have the same amount of lactose and that some are less lactose heavy than others is still exciting news for those affected.
References:
https://news.psu.edu/story/363499/2015/07/22/research/probing-question-cheese-americas-favorite-food
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/qa/what-is-lactose
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lactose-intolerance-101
https://www.self.com/story/low-lactose-cheeses
