NHS doctor reveals surprising trick that reduces lactose intolerance symptoms so you can enjoy dairy

An NHS doctor has revealed a technique that could help reduce the symptoms of lactose intolerance. Dr Karan Raj, aka @dr.karanr on TikTok, has said to avoid a 'code brown' while consuming dairy, which can be challenging especially when dining out, there is one particular action you should take. It might come as a surprise.

Taking to the social media platform, he said: "It might sound counterintuitive, but consuming regular, small doses of dairy can actually help your gut adapt and reduce symptoms over time. This is due to colonic adaptation.

"Regular lactose exposure increases the growth of lactose digesting bacteria in your colonic microbiome so you get better at processing lactose. You can also enhance colonic adaptation by consuming pro-biotic rich foods."

Talking about these types of foods, he says: "These contain live bacterial cultures that produce their own lactase, the enzyme, which digests lactose" Giving examples he says it can include sauerkraut or fermented dairy products like kefir or yoghurt.

He continues: "Interestingly fermented dairy products tend to be lower in lactose as they are sort of pre-digested by the good bugs. Other dairy products low in lactose are aged cheeses like swiss cheese or parmigiano. These have the liquid whey component in the bit which contains the most lactose separated."

If you want to east dairy, he suggests eating it with other foods. He explains: "This slows down stomach emptying giving the poor overworked lactase enzyme in your small intestine more time to digest lactose."