Do you have lactose intolerance? Do you ever find yourself asking the question, can I consume whey protein powder if I’m lactose intolerant?

The short answer is yes, so long as you’re consuming a good quality whey protein isolate.

In this article, we will answer the question of why it’s possible to drink whey protein when lactose intolerant and how whey protein isolate is able to do this.

Firstly, What is Lactose Intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest a particular sugar molecule found in dairy products known as lactose.

Individuals with lactose intolerance simply don’t produce enough of the enzyme known as lactase needed to break down lactose.

When we are unable to break down lactose, we can experience symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, all of the uncomfortable digestive stuff that we don’t want (Azcarate-Peril et al., 2017).

Why Can Someone with Lactose Intolerance Still Drink Whey Protein Isolate (WPI)?

To first answer this question, it’s best to understand the difference between Whey Protein Concentrate and Whey Protein Isolate, read more about the difference here.

Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) is tolerated by lactose-intolerant individuals mainly because it’s put through an extra filtration process that greatly reduces the carbohydrate and fat content (Madureira et al., 2007).

This greater reduction of carbohydrates eliminates almost all of the lactose found present in whey protein, making it much safer to tolerate.

Of course, this extra process may increase the price of WPI, but the trade-off is worth it if you have lactose intolerance.

Have you ever thought you may have a whey protein allergy? You may just need to make the switch to a whey protein isolate.

How Do I Know If A Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) Is Truly Low in Lactose?

Generally, if you’re buying a good quality protein powder, such as Designer Physique’s Whey Protein Isolate, the lactose content should be extremely low.

Designer Physique Whey Protein Isolate contains less than 1% lactose, which is safe for most lactose-intolerant individuals.

Of course, we always recommend trying it first, which is why we offer Designer Physique Whey Protein isolate Sampler Packs!

As a general rule of thumb, always look on the label for the number of sugars present. Anything around the 0-1g mark per serve (30g) should be safe.

Of course, Designer Physique lists the amount of naturally occurring lactose on our label, which is 0.36g per serve (30g).

Are you ready to give Whey Protein Isolate a go? Pick up a sampler pack today!

References

• Azcarate-Peril, M. A., Ritter, A. J., Savaiano, D., Monteagudo-Mera, A., Anderson, C., Magness, S. T., & Klaenhammer, T. R. (2017). Impact of short-chain galactooligosaccharides on the gut microbiome of lactose-intolerant individuals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(3), E367-E375. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1606722113
• Madureira, A. R., Pereira, C. I., Gomes, A. M., Pintado, M. E., & Xavier Malcata, F. (2007). Bovine whey proteins – Overview on their main biological properties. Food Research International, 40(10), 1197-1211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2007.07.005