You can buy lactase enzymes in most pharmacies and vitamin shops. For best results when adding it to milk, buy the lactase enzymes in liquid drop form.
Most people will only need to take 1-2 tablets before they drink milk. However, if you’re not sure how many tablets you should take, refer to the dosing instructions on your supplements package. Although most people have no problems taking lactase tablets, they can cause an allergic reaction in some people. The symptoms of this type of reaction include hives, difficulty breathing, and a tightness in your chest. Not enough research has been done on the effects of taking lactase to know what effect it has on pregnant and breastfeeding women. If you’re pregnant, avoid taking lactase tablets just to be on the safe side.
Most probiotic supplements that aid in the digestion of lactose will include this information on the front label. However, the best specific bacteria strains to have in your probiotic are Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus Rosell-11, and Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52.
Note that lactose-free and lactose-reduced milk tend to be a bit more expensive than regular milk. However, depending on how much milk you drink, it’s probably less expensive in the long run than buying lactase enzymes from a vitamin shop.
There are a few different ideas as to why chocolate milk produces less symptoms of lactose intolerance. Some scientists argue cocoa may stimulate lactase activity in the body, while others think it might reduce the number of gas-producing bacteria in the colon. Not everybody will be able to tolerate chocolate milk equally well. Try it in small amounts at first to see if your body reacts to it before gulping down a tall glass.
Soy milk in particular has also been found to contain less saturated fat than cow’s milk and is better at reducing “bad” cholesterol levels in the body.
