If you have lactose intolerance you already know that you need to avoid eating dairy products. This is because dairy contains the sugar lactose which some people are unable to digest because their body does not make enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose down in the small intestine.  It may seem pretty simple to avoid all dairy products but these days it seems like almost everything on the shelves has some form of dairy in it. If you are extremely sensitive to lactose you may not be able to tolerate even the smallest amounts of lactose.

Learning to read labels for milk ingredients begins with understanding the large number of terms that could include lactose in them. Finding a list online that keeps an updated list of all possible terms that could indicate lactose is your best defense. You will want to look for terms such as whey, curds, milk-by- products, dry milk solids, and nonfat dry milk powder, any of these ingredients will contain lactose.

Do not be fooled by products that are listed as non-dairy such as coffee creamers and whipped toppings, these may actually contain ingredients that are derived from milk and therefore may contain milk. In addition to that, it is highly likely that breads, baked goods, instant potatoes, soups, breakfast drinks, margarine, lunch meats, salad dressings, candies and snacks, mixes for pancakes, biscuits and cookies, and meal replacement powders may contain lactose.

Other items to be looking for lactose in are medications approximately 6% of over the counter medications contain lactose; the most common offenders being stomach medicines.  Lactose is frequently used as a filler and is also used to make some medicines taste better.

If you are lactose intolerant, avoid dairy and still have symptoms it is likely that somewhere in the foods you eat is hidden lactose. Learning to read food labels carefully and spot this lactose will help you to avoid the products in foods and medications that can make you sick.