Breaking Down Dairy Intolerance with Enzymes

As a Caucasian, this wasn't supposed to happen to me. (Already the "edgiest" opener on a grocery store blog, ever. I checked.) Most Caucasians digest dairy products like it's going out of style (which may happen if people continue to insist on eating like cavepeople). Meanwhile, about 70% of the world's adult population struggles with digesting dairy products. Despite my census identity, I am one of those in the latter category. Now, before we examine this issue, it's important to keep a few things in mind:

1. Dairy intolerance and lactose intolerance are not the same thing, exactly.
2. "Race" is a social construction. Really. That's barely relevant, but I like saying it.
3. That said, genetic predispositions still mean that people of Northern European descent generally tolerate dairy products well into adulthood, while people of other genetic origins tend to experience a range of digestive problems with the same foods. 

The pain and bloating many people experience when drinking milk or eating cheese is often caused by the poor digestion of lactose— milk sugar—found in those foods. Most people know this. Most people, however, avoid these foods, knowingly endure the symptoms of lactose intolerance, or suffer in ignorance. I'd like this to stop.

That's why I want to talk about digestive enzymes. Working at FFL, I was always surprised to find how few of my customers had investigated digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes have been a reliable friend to me since I discovered them. I'm afraid I've become a bit of an enzyme evangelist, so take this information with a grain of propagandasidase.

Let's start with the basics: the term "enzyme" is general. Enzymes are catalysts—they speed up the chemical processes going on in your cells so that you remain alive. Without them, you would die.

Digestive enzymes act as tiny chemical scissors, breaking down the molecules of what you eat so that you can digest your food. They are secreted by organs, such as the pancreas and small intestine. There are many different digestive enzymes, and they have different jobs. Some were named intuitively, such as lactase, which breaks down lactose. Others were named by drawing letters from a hat, such as alpha-galactosidase. (Which breaks down beans, broccoli, and other plant stuff, obviously.)

Taking an over-the-counter digestive enzyme capsule with the first bite of your meal can assist in digestion by filling in the gaps in your natural enzymatic production. If you're suffering after eating cheese, try taking a powerful lactase product right before your meal. I'll come out and say that Enzymedica's "Lacto" product is my favorite, but there are plenty of good options out there.

Comparative shopping for enzymes is difficult, however. Lacto boasts 9,500 ALU. The "ALU" stands for Acid Lactase Units. This is a unit based on the hydrolysis of carbohydrates in specific laboratory conditions. ALUs are are one example of a unit used by the FCC, or Foods Chemical Codex to measure enzymatic action. So... what?

The ingredients list of an enzyme is likely to use some nomenclature (like the above) that many people are unlikely to recognize. Just remember: when you're comparing potency, make sure the products you're comparing use the same units. In the case of lactase products, ALU and FCC are used interchangeably, or even together.

The reason that dairy intolerance isn't lactose intolerance, per se,  is that dairy products contain other elements that some people don't tolerate. The main culprit among those is casein.

Casein is milk protein. (Technically, it comprises about 80% of the various proteins in milk). People who cannot drink milk without symptoms may be intolerant of casein, lactose, or both. But taking an enzymatic supplement which only breaks down lactose will not address a casein intolerance problem. That's why higher-grade enzymes, like Enzymedica's Lacto, attack a spectrum of dairy components, casein included. Standard lactase products often focus exclusively on lactose, and may not provide relief.

Your local Foods For Living Staff will be happy to walk you through your enzyme options, should you be interested. There's no need to suffer in silence, or unnecessarily limit your diet. Unlike most health concerns, simply popping a magic pill is a viable option when it comes to dairy intolerance. That doesn't mean you should go milk-wild. There's only so much enzyme supplements can do. But they can improve your life, as they have mine.