Does a Keto diet cure lactose intolerance?

SKArunner

I overheard someone say that a Keto diet ‘cured’ his lactose intolerance. “Cure?” Whatever that means or does the extra fat just provided my body with what it needs to digest dairy? So, I have been experimenting and it looks promising. I have had a lactose problem for maybe 20 years, maybe longer. Lately I have been gradually sneaking in ‘heavy’ dairy (heavy whipping cream & whip cream). In fact today I had about 4 tbsps if whip cream with my raspberries and then followed it with one of my low carb sundaes.

1 cup - Breyers low carb ice cream (it’s better than potato chips)
2 tbsps+ low carb peanut butter
¼ cup of Spanish peanuts
And to top it off with 4 more tbsps. of whip cream

Ok maybe be I pushed it a bit too much and it might have given me a spike or two, but still only had 40 net carbs (26g fiber) for the day. *Not including the evil sugar alcohols from the ice cream.

The point is I can eat dairy again??? Anyone else?

Anniel88

I haven't heard anything about that and have not experienced the same, but remember not all dairy is created equal. I have been relatively low-carb for a long time for medical reasons. (Sometimes I go back to a high carb life-style and regret it!) It may not be that there is any change in your intolerance, but the choices you are making for food have less lactose, which means you can eat more of it before you have any problems. The degree of lactose that can be tolerated varies by person.

Generally speaking the higher the fat content in milk the less lactose. Heavy cream has less lactose than half and half and less than 2% and so on. You can find charts easily online

Also, different processes reduce the lactose. Cheese is very low in lactose because that is what is utilized to form cheese. (The amount of lactose in cheese depends on the cheese and fermentation process.)

twinmom01

I don't think it can "cure" it - but if you are lactose intolerent there may be a certain leeway that you have before it becomes noticable or interfers with your lifestyle.

I know my daughter is lactose and casien intolant - it doesn't mean she can't eat it - she can and then she has to deal with stomach issues and in her case it also causes her excema to flare up. Things like Lactaid can lessen the stomach issues to a point but doesn't effect her excema.

Your body may react on a cumulative effect - meaning a few bites of ice cream or some cream in your coffee isn't going to effect you very much because it is such a little amount....but if you were going to have some cheese with a glass of milk followed by some ice cream your body may decide to revolt....KWIM

Something else to take into account...I have friends who say they are lactose intolerant but never have been tested (my daughter has had blood tests and a hydrogen breath test for confirmation) so they pop lacitaids when they eat dairy because they say "dairy" is the culprit and makes them feel bad...after reading lots and lots I actually question this and wonder if it isn't the dairy per se - but rather what they are eating with the dairy - i.e. they eat a few slices of cheese pizza and feel bad and chalk it up to the cheese and they are "lactose intolerant" whereas maybe eating all those carbs make them feel like crap...

so when one follows a low carb way of life and you give up a bulk of heavy carbs and if they are doing Keto then they are giving up a bulk of processed/chemically enhanced foods in most cases...so when one does eat something with lactose (that isn't paired with a bunch of other crap) they don't have issues...

SKArunner

Thanks . . . very interesting indeed!

I used whip cream and heavy cream as an indicator because prior to going keto, those were two foods that hit me hard. Like fresh whip cream on a dessert or cream based Indian food would keel me over within minutes of eating. I never gave up cheese, but leaned towards sheep cheese - Manchego. I do recall that cheap frozen pizzas would hit me too, I always blamed it on the bad cheese. I would 'occasionally' eat ice cream with Lactaid and for the most part had minimal issues.

Lately, I have been way over doing it and haven't had any symptoms at all. AND yea previously, my previous diet was horrible, I at tons of "Carbage."

I sure am loving the whip cream . . .

This whole keto experiment is very very interesting and I initially thought it was temporary, but man I am enjoying it.

And loosing weight . . . I ate an ice cream sundae last night and woke up this morning 2 pounds lighter????

Thanks.

SKA

LauraDotts

I'm going to agree that it may not have been a lactose intolerance but an intolerance for what was eaten with the dairy. On a keto diet the lack of gluten foods may be more responsible for the lack of intolerance symptoms.

LowcarbNY

I'm not lactose intolerant but I sure as heck am sugar alcohol intolerant.
When eating a SF dairy product it might be difficult to know which ( -ose or -itol ) is giving you the problem.

Erythitol does not seem to be a problem for me but others sure are. Maltitol seems to be one of the worse ones for me.

wildfirediva

In going keto a person removes the typical food triggers for allergies or sensitivities as a result of the new regime. [Corn, wheat, soy, nightshades (potatoes), refined sugars, etc.] The body's response and systems begin to rest and normalize from the continued attack [seemingly heightened sensitivity to EVERYTHING]. Reduced systemic inflammation occurs over a course of the regime (along with the addition of supplements to support liver and digestion). Digestive enzymes get back on track, the stomach and intestines work more efficiently to finally process and absorb nutrients, and the liver (especially), who is responsible for detoxing, processing fats etc, has become more efficient at its job as well.

As a result most people will notice a decrease in response to exposure to many former triggers or allergens in general (hay fever, environmental/molds, perfume/chemical, latex, other secondary food sensitivities) and will experience a noticeably relatively immediate allergic response to the culprit primary allergen (immediate nausea, headaches etc.with exposure).

For many lactose falls into secondary sensitivity. [For some it is primary.] Once your body is not "freaking out"/hypersensitive, many will find the ability to eat and expose themselves to situations they may not have been able to before.

I personally have been able to get off most hay fever medication (take homeopathics to work through the occasional occurrence). Most cow dairy (minus fermented products and some cheese) still don't sit comfortably. Sugar alcohols give me a headache...
The body does an amazing job to heal itself when given the right tools, nutrition and support.

SKArunner

In going keto a person removes the typical food triggers for allergies or sensitivities as a result of the new regime. [Corn, wheat, soy, nightshades (potatoes), refined sugars, etc.] The body's response and systems begin to rest and normalize from the continued attack [seemingly heightened sensitivity to EVERYTHING]. Reduced systemic inflammation occurs over a course of the regime (along with the addition of supplements to support liver and digestion). Digestive enzymes get back on track, the stomach and intestines work more efficiently to finally process and absorb nutrients, and the liver (especially), who is responsible for detoxing, processing fats etc, has become more efficient at its job as well.

As a result most people will notice a decrease in response to exposure to many former triggers or allergens in general (hay fever, environmental/molds, perfume/chemical, latex, other secondary food sensitivities) and will experience a noticeably relatively immediate allergic response to the culprit primary allergen (immediate nausea, headaches etc.with exposure).

For many lactose falls into secondary sensitivity. [For some it is primary.] Once your body is not "freaking out"/hypersensitive, many will find the ability to eat and expose themselves to situations they may not have been able to before.

What an awesome discusion! Thanks everyone!

Two months ago, I had never thought about diet, just ate what ever I felt like and a lot of it. Until I turned 40, it didn't matter, but then I became a dad of two which became the tipping, so to speak.