Can lactase enzymes help lactose intolerance?

Presuming you don't have an actual dairy allergy, lactase enzymes could be your answer for enjoying what you want. We've asked our in-house nutritionist Chandni Vadgama to explain what lactose intolerance actually is and how lactase enzymes may potentially help you to digest dairy.

“These symptoms can be avoided by reducing or eliminating foods containing lactose, which is found in all dairy products, including milk, butter and cheese," she says. Food and drinks frequently contain one or some of these ingredients, often in forms you wouldn't expect, so it's advisable to always check product labels.”

Lactose intolerance can also arise with age and is more widely associated with people from non-European backgrounds.²

Symptoms of lactose intolerance include:¹

In some people, lactose intolerance is linked to another condition, such as Coeliac disease. So it’s important to keep a food diary and book in with your GP before self-diagnosing a food intolerance.

Dairy products are essentially anything that comes from a cow, such as milk, cheese and cream. While vegans don’t eat any animal products at all (e.g. honey), the dairy-free diet eliminates only the products from a cow. People who follow a dairy-free diet therefore might also choose to eat eggs, honey or other animal-derived products.

“There is no cure for lactose intolerance, however, supplementing lactase enzymes may improve lactose digestion, helping you to digest milk and dairy products, while supporting digestive health.³ Therefore, lactase enzymes may be able to reduce or eliminate symptoms associated with eating dairy,” she explains.

Lactase enzyme supplements contain lactase, a digestive enzyme that improves digestion in individuals who have difficulty digesting dairy.

As you may have seen on TikTok,⁷ some people opt for raw milk as they believe it to be lactose free. This is because there are myths that pasteurisation removes the enzymes that help you to digest it. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. A small study found that there was no improvement in lactose intolerance symptoms with the consumption of raw milk compared to its pasteurised counterpart.⁸

And if they’re completely off the table, we’ve got you covered with plenty of dairy-free inspiration from the ultimate guide to vegan milk to dairy-free ingredient ideas.