How does the Dairy-Free Diet work?
There are two main reasons why people would follow a dairy free diet. If you're allergic to cow's milk, a dairy free diet will prevent allergic reactions like rashes, vomiting and even anaphylactic shock.
If you're lactose intolerant, it means your body struggles to break down lactose, the natural sugar found in milk. By cutting out dairy products, your digestion and general health will improve.
Who is it good for?
There's a big difference between people who are just allergic to cow's milk and people who are actually lactose intolerant.
One in a hundred babies is allergic to cow's milk, by far the most common childhood allergy. While some people will grow out of this, others will remain allergic to milk as adults.
The symptoms of a milk allergy include rashes, vomiting and, in extreme, cases, anaphylactic shock which causes breathing problems.
Lactose intolerance, however, affects around one in seven people in the UK. Lactose intolerant people will feel very uncomfortable between 30 minutes and two hours after eating dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurts. Symptoms include bloating, nausea, cramps, wind and diarrhoea. If you notice any of these problems, visit your GP who can run some simple tests to find out what's wrong.
Average rating:
chris, about 1 year
I have been unwell for 3 years with violent wind/hiccups, nausea, bloating, pain from the violent type of stomach reaction. Eventually I did a reducion diet to exclude foods, eventually finding all milk products caused my symptoms. I tried lactase tablets to see if they would help and they did, so eventually I realised it was lactose intolerance. I am fine if I leave all milk alone. There is milk in so many products.
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