products have very little because of
processing), lactose is an issue for a
surprisingly large percentage of people. Most
infants digest lactose well, but after weaning,
most of us lose the ability to convert lactose
into usable forms of carbohydrate (glucose
and galactose).
If lactose cannot be properly digested,
bloating and gastrointestinal upset may result.
In addition, consuming even small amounts of
lactose may contribute to an imbalance of gut
bacteria, promoting dysbiosis. For those who
can no longer effectively digest lactose (i.e.,
most of us), dairy would also fail our third
Good Food standard (promotes a healthy gut).
However, lactose intolerance is not our
biggest concern with dairy, given its
propensity to stimulate insulin production and
potential to trigger an immune system
response. In fact, many people who consider
themselves lactose-intolerant (by observing
that dairy makes them feel poorly) may have a