Dairy Issues
There are two main conditions associated with dairy, and they are often confused. By far the most common is Lactose Intolerance, which is the lack of enough lactase in the body to properly break down the lactose (sugar) contained in milk. It is common because most of the world’s population is lactose intolerant, except for large portions of Northern European and Northern Indian populations who’ve subsisted off of dairy product for millennia. However, even the bulk of these people will become lactose intolerant as they get older.
Dairy Allergy, while far less common, is, like all true allergies, a serious reaction to proteins, in this case the casein and whey present in dairy products. Ironically, since lactose intolerance is more common, some of the “non-dairy” cheeses made from soy or rice may contain casein, so they’re not good for those with the allergy. Read ingredient lists carefully! Since butter and many aged cheeses have very low levels of lactose, they are usually fine in reasonable quantities.
Lakewinds carries a very large variety of dairy free, lactose free, and casein/whey free products, as well as suppliments that will help with digestion of lactose.
Here’s a great website for learning much, much more… Steve Carper’s Lactose Intolerance Clearinghouse.