Can you eat ghee if you are lactose intolerant?
Do you have a lactose intolerance and are looking for a butter alternative that is healthier for you than Nuttelex?
Is it okay to eat ghee instead?
If you're lactose intolerant, then you know that dairy can be a real pain in the butt (and stomach!). But what about ghee?
Here's what you need to know.
Ghee is made by simmering butter at a very low temperature for a long period of time. During this time, all the water evaporates and the milk solids settle at the bottom. These solids are then caramelised as a way to infuse flavour into the ghee, and then removed.
What's left behind is a pure, golden ghee rich in nutrients and flavour. (If you want to know what ghee tastes like, click here.)
We remove the milk solids.
The milk solids that are removed include lactose, casein and whey, all the common allergens. With the vast majority of these removed, ghee is considerably lower in lactose than regular butter.
Because of this, many people use ghee as a butter or seed-oil-spread alternative if they are intolerant to lactose.
In addition to being lower in lactose, ghee also contains higher levels of butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid that feeds the good bacteria in your gut and supports digestion.
This is good news, as being lactose intolerant brings symptoms of nausea, gas, bloating and cramps, caused by the inability to break down lactose in the small intestine. Read here for more signs, symptoms and how lactose intolerance occurs.
Most people with lactose intolerance sadly swap butter for less desirable, chemically laden products such as margarine and seed-oil-based spreads. These products do nothing to improve wellbeing.
If you're looking for a butter alternative that spreads, cooks and tastes like butter, is lactose-free and healthy for you, then ghee is your answer.
In summary, can you eat ghee if you are lactose intolerant? Yes, and the bonus is all the additional health benefits.
So if you're lactose intolerant and looking for a butter alternative that you can cook with and is still rich in nutrients and flavour, ghee may be a good option for you.
Just be sure to check with your doctor or dietitian first to make sure it's okay for you to consume.
