Lactose Free Protein Powder

Lactose is a disaccharide sugar molecule made from glucose and galactose. It is a low glycemic index sugar that is naturally found in milk and some milk products. It has been suggested that around 65% of people after infancy have difficulty digesting lactose. We produce lactase—the lactose-digesting enzyme—in larger quantities during infancy to help us digest the lactose contained in Mother's milk. It makes sense that production of this enzyme reduces after infancy, when milk is not the primary source of nourishment any longer.

Lactose intolerance is quite common, and can result in diarrhoea, flatulence, bloating and/or abdominal pain—and not necessarily in that order. This condition does not involve the immune system like an allergy or sensitivity, yet is simply caused by an inability to digest this sugar, followed by digestive symptoms when a tolerance threshold is exceeded from lactose-containing food. Depending on how sensitive you are to lactose, as we each produce varying amounts of lactase, you may still be able to consume a small amount of this sugar. 

There are a great range of lactose-free protein powders available, such as brown rice, pea and egg, and even lactose-free whey protein powders—that's right, derived from dairy—that can be suitable. Lactose intolerance, except in extreme cases, doesn't mean you can't have any lactose at all. Usually a small amount consumed at each meal is tolerable, though this depends on individual sensitivity.

Lactose-Free Protein Powder is every bit as good as a regular protein powder. Fear not! Lactose in no way affects bioavailability. In fact, if anything, removing the lactose will increase the protein powder's bioavailability, as in some instances digestion and absorption of amino acids  can be improved. Again, this really is an individual thing, and goes to show just how different we all are. Therefore, one could surmise that the bioavailability of protein powders differ from individual to individual, depending on the person's ability to digest and immunologically "accept" the protein chains. But that’s another story for a different day entirely ...  

As with most things in life, some experimentation is necessary in order to ascertain exactly what the best course of action is here for you, as the rare and unique individual that you are. If you find that you are experiencing a lot or all of the lactose intolerance signs and symptoms, then it just might be worth giving it a go, and starting with a zero lactose tolerance policy to see if you improve, I.e., no lactose for a trial period of a couple of weeks.