Am I Lactose Intolerant?

If you’re already asking this, there’s a good chance you are.

Many people don’t realize they are lactose intolerant because they grow up consuming dairy with no problems, but as they grow older their body stops producing the lactase enzyme.

This change generally happens around age 20, but can develop at any age.

If you’d like to know with certainty, a good test you can do at home is to drink a cup (8 fluid oz) of whole milk and then pay attention to how your body reacts in the following two hours. If you experience stomachaches, diarrhea, or bloating, it is likely you are lactose intolerant.

As a next step, you will want to ensure it is lactose intolerance and not another gastrointestinal cause such as irritable bowel syndrome. In order to confirm this, wait until the next day and drink another cup (8 fluid oz) of whole milk while immediately taking a Milky lactase enzyme supplement. The Milky supplement will neutralize the lactose in the milk and therefore protect you from any lactose intolerance symptoms.

However, if you are still experiencing symptoms, you may not be lactose intolerant, but rather have a different gastrointestinal issue or even a dairy allergy (very different from lactose intolerance!)