While many dairy products (cow’s milk, cheese, butter, etc) can contain important nutrients for your overall health, you might want to limit or avoid intake, experts say, if you frequently suffer from bloating and indigestion. Although many of us find that dairy foods or beverages can provide vitamin D, calcium and other essentials, these products are often linked to bloating, especially in those that consume them often.
We reached out to nutritionists and other health experts to learn more about the common correlations between dairy and indigestion, and how this healthy type of food might need to be replaced or limited in your diet. Read on for tips and suggestions from Isla Zyair, nutritionist, blogger, and plant-based nutrition expert, Cassie Madsen, MS, RD, registered dietitian of Gut Health and Nutrition, Janet Coleman, registered dietitian at TheConsumerMag, and Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD, health expert and medical content author at Health Reporter.
One Common Culprit For Bloating & Indigestion: Dairy
Love dairy products and frequently suffer from stomach and gut pains? Many people might not pinpoint lactose intolerance as the cause of their bloating and indigestion, but this is certainly a very common possibility, Coleman says. "People with lactose intolerance do not have enough lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products)," Coleman explains.
"Lactase is produced by the cells lining the small intestine, so those with lactose intolerance lack the necessary enzymes to break down the milk sugar into smaller molecules that can be absorbed by their bodies." This, she says, is why people who are lactose intolerant "may experience gas, bloating and diarrhea when they consume dairy products containing lactose."
Barrios agrees, and adds that "stomach pain and bloating are common from products that contain substances our body does not digest, such as lactose." For this reason, "cow's milk, cheese, curd, or yogurt," she says, should be limited, avoided or replaced with other supplements or foods that contain vitamin D, calcium and the other nutrients they provide.
While lactose intolerance can be a concern at any age, Madsen points out that this is something to look out for with age. "Lactase is the enzyme needed to digest lactose," Madsen says. "Many people do not produce enough lactase to break down milk sugar, and this is especially common as we get older or in people who have inflammation in their gut." As many of us were taught that milk is a "wonderful source of protein, calcium, and vitamin D," this may be true, Madsen adds, but it "also contains lactose, the naturally occurring sugar" linked to bloating and other signs of indigestion.
If you often feel pain due to bloating, these experts stress that it is imperative to visit a doctor to learn more about your specific situation. In the meantime, taking note of when you feel the most bloated (and what foods you ate before experiencing it) can help. "Foods that could trigger bloating and indigestion depend on someone susceptible to these issues," Zyair says.
"While [dairy] may be healthy for the general population, these foods can cause problems for people who have trouble digesting them. "If you suffer from bloating and indigestion, it may be worth avoiding these healthy foods or testing your tolerance before including them in your diet," Zyair concludes.
