Lactose-free versus Non-Dairy
Today, I reaceived an email through this blog that asked me about the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet that Jake is on. The person writing the email had a son who was autistic and was also on the GFCF diet. The email went like this:
- I need to know if Lactose Free Milk is good for Autism children? He won't drink soy or rice milk but now that we introduced him to Lactose Free milk he is back to drink alot of it. We have them on GfCf diet, the only thing we are having hard time with is milk and eggs.
So I went in search of an answer. Of course, since we started the diet with Jake, we've made a few mistakes and served foods that did have gluten or dairy products in the ingredients list. Sometimes, these ingredients go by other names and it can be very difficult to get it right all the time.
My research has taught me that lactose is a naturally-occuring sugar or enzyme found in cow's milk. When products are listed as 'lactose free', it means that they have had the lactose removed, catering to those who suffer with lactose intolerance. These products are still made with cow's milk and therefore still contain casein, which is what the GFCF diet for autistic children tries to avoid.
To recap, 'lactose free' does not necessarily mean 'non-dairy' or 'casein free'.
I wrote back to the writer of the email and passed on the information that I'd found. I also stressed that I am no pro and that they should verify the facts with someone in the know.
There is such a huge wealth of information out there on the internet, but there's no telling who we can trust to get it right.
