Help for IBS Diet
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment

dairy-free diet

What is a dairy-free diet?

Eating a dairy-free diet means cutting out all obvious dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter. For some people who are very sensitive to dairy products it may also mean cutting out ingredients made from dairy products such as whey and casein.

People who are lactose intolerant are allergic to milk sugar, as they don't have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase to properly digest lactose. They may be able to eat products such as hard cheese with no ill effects, because they only contain low levels of lactose, but they will need to either avoid products such as milk or use soy milk or other substitutes.

What foods need to be avoided?

For a completely dairy-free diet, the following foods should be avoided:

This is not an exhaustive list by any means - you will need to check food labels regularly and learn which ingredients contain dairy products and which are safe.

Are there any long-term problems with this diet?

Because dairy-products are a good source of calcium, people who avoid most dairy products may need to take a calcium supplement.

REVIEWS OF A DAIRY-FREE DIET

Review by Brendan

I've been having severe stomach pains and the bloated feeling in my stomach. As being a student in a very old school, the last thing I wanted to do was use the school toilets!

After some time experimenting with my diet I found out that the cause for the symptoms was that I was lactose intolerant. I was so annoyed because my doctor diagnosed me with IBS. But after research I found that the two have very similar symptoms.

Going off the milk and homemade pancakes really made a difference. I still think I have irritable bowel syndrome but it's not as bad as it used to be. I have found your site very useful for hints and tips on overcoming this. Thanks for putting the site on the web!

Do you suffer from IBS? Have you tried a dairy-free diet? Please send in your review.