Département de Médecine Communautaire, de Premier Recours et des Urgences
Consultation diététique du Service de Médecine de Premier Recours
I’m lactose intolerant… Help !
How to read the packaging?
Ingredients are listed in greater quantity than the smallest.
Try these foods in small quantities to test your tolerance.
Ingredients source of lactose
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Babeurre, petit lait, sérum lactique
Blanc battu, fromage blanc
Crème (à café, fraîche, demi, entière)
Fromages
Lactose ou sucre du lait
Lactosérum
Lait de vache, brebis ou chèvre
Lait condensé, caillé de lait
Poudre de lait
Yogourt, kéfir
Ingredients unproblematic
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Lactate (= acide lactique)
Lactate de calcium
Lactalbumine
Lactoglobuline
Lactoferrine
Lait de soja, d’amandes, de riz ou
lait d’autres végétaux
Protéines de lait
Etc.
Lactase, a drug that helps!
I’m lactose intolerant…
What is lactose?
It is milk sugar.
What is « lactose intolerance »?
Lactose is not digested well by the cells of the intestines,
due to a lack of lactase (enzyme that can digest lactose).
Symptoms ?
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Diarrhea
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Flatulence, gas
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Abdominal pain, cramps
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Headach
MAKE SURE TO…
To facilitate the digestion of foods containing lactose, you can use lactase tablets.
You can buy lactase with or without a prescription: Lacdigest ® in Switzerland or
®
Alvityl Digest ® or Lactaid in France.
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Limit or avoid lactose, depending on the severity of my intolerance.
(A completely lactose-free diet is rarely necessary !)
How to use?
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Test my lactose tolerance.
Take it with a meal containing lactose. The dose depends on your tolerance level
and the amount of lactose in the meal.
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Cover my calcium needs.
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1 tablet Lacdigest ® helps the digestion of ~2g lactose. So for :
 50g cream cheese => 2 tablets
 1 pot of yoghurt (180g) => 3 tablets
 1 cup of milk => 4 tablets
Maximum number of tablets that can be taken at a single mean: 6 tablets
Maximum number of tablets that can be taken in a day: 12 tablets
VM, HF – Validé JMG, IG, SR
Consult your doctor or dietician for:
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Dietary advice
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Medication advice
Avril 2013
Département de Médecine Communautaire, de Premier Recours et des Urgences
Consultation diététique du Service de Médecine de Premier Recours
I’m lactose intolerant … What to eat ?
I AVOID…
To know your degree of lactose intolerance, remove the food from the list during
at least 2 weeks.
When the symptoms have disappeared, test each food gradually to know your
tolerance, starting with yogurt and sour milk that are better tolerated!
(ex : ½ yogurt and 1 full ...)
You can also test with a lactase medicine to increase your tolerance (p.4).
I PREFER…
Products with the word "lactose free"!
(Logo: Free From Coop, Migros AHA)
Milk and milk products
Milk and milk products
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Milk from cows, goats, sheep,
condensed milk, powdered milk, sour milk
Cream cheese
Yogurt, cottage cheese
Flan, pudding, semolina, rice pudding
Drinks with some milk or yogourt
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Hard and soft cheese
Soy milk, soy yogurt, rice milk, almond milk,…
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Butter, margarines
Oils
Soy Cream
Fat
Sweet
Fat
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Cream and butter (depending on your tolerance)
Sweet
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White and milk chocolate, powdered chocolate
Ice cream with milk, yogurt or cream
Cakes, pies, cookies, pastries, pancakes, etc.
Rivella ®
Industrial products and processed
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Dark chocolate
Sorbet, meringues
Home made biscuits and cakes (without milk)
Drinks
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Water, tea, black coffee, juices, sodas
All meat, fish, eggs and meat substitutes
Drinks
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Puree, cheese-topped dishes, lasagna, pizza
Terrines, sausages, processed meats and meat spreads
Meat or fish that has been marinated or seasoned
Ready-made sauces, dehydrated soups
VM, HF – Validé JMG, IG, SR
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Including Tofu and Quorn
All cereal products
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Bread, pasta, rice, maize, semolina, lentils, etc.
Herbs and spices
Avril 2013