do most yogurts contain lactose?

Question

please can anyone tell me some of the branded yogurts that contain lactose, I thought most yogurts do contain it, up until a few days ago when someone said that no yogurts contain lactose. which i know isnt true, but i would like to hear from u . all answers would be really appreciated. thankk you :)

Answer 1

Yogurts made from milk (not soy or other grains, etc.) all start out with lactose--or milk sugar. During the fermentation period though, the lactose is gradually eaten up by the beneficial bacteria.

If the fermentation *goes on long enough* (about 24 hours), then virtually all of the lactose will be gone --and the yogurt will be *quite* tangy.
That's not what happens though with most commerical yogurts.... they're usually fermented only 4 hrs in order to increase shelf life (I think that's because sugar/lactose is actually a natural preservative).

So it's not a matter of whether yogurt has lactose in it, but how much it has in it at any given point.
Just allowing yogurt to sit in the store or in the frig gives more time for the lactose to be graduallly eaten up too, though the cool temp slows that down a lot compared to the incubation temperature for actual fermentation (when the beasties are feeding at a good clip).

Even at 4 hrs. of fermentation many people who are lactose-intolerant can eat yogurt (or kefir, etc.) made from any animal milk though because the amount of lactose is definitely reduced --particularly if they aren't also eating other things with lactose (cheese, etc.), and/or don't have added stresses from pollen allergies acting up at the same times, for example.

(Those who have serious bowel diseases like colitis and Crohn's disease though, often find they can eat yogurt with no problems at all *as long as* it's been fermented for an entire 24 hrs... plus it often seems to help all their symptoms too because the benefical bacteria can get to work without problems caused by the lactose.)

If you want to decrease the amount of lactose more than is generally done in commercial yogurts, you'll need to make it yourself (and let the fermentation go on for 24 hrs.). I make my own and it's easy to do once you figure a few things out. (It also tastes better!, "fresher").

There may be some commercial brands that have a bit more lactose removed than others though... you might be able to find out which those are, if so, from this site
…. http://www.scdiet.org
...or in some of the support groups for those with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's Disease, like this one: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/support/support.htm



Diane B.

P.S. On a related topic, it's important to notice that some commercial yogurts say only that they were "made with" the beneficial live cultures, and not that they actually still "contain live cultures" after their manufacturing!
If there were no live cultures left, you'd basically just be eating pudding.

.

Answer 2

Yoghurt is a dairy product and dairy products naturally contain lactose. However, if you are lactose intolerant, yoghurt may be safe.

Some studies showed that the active live bacterial culture (also known as probiotics) found in yogurt help lactose digestion. However frozen yogurt does not seem to provide the same effect for many people. Buttermilk and acidophilus milk, although fermented, still cause as much distress in most people as plain milk. As everyone's level of lactase deficiency is different, sometimes you really do not know whether you can tolerate a specific product until you try drinking it.

Answer 3

Yogurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yoghurt its gel-like texture and its characteristic tang.

Yogurt has lactose but the bacteria that produce the enzyme lactase help reduce lactose intolerance.

People who are otherwise lactose-intolerant often enjoy yoghurt without ill effects, since live yoghurt culture contains enzymes that help break down lactose inside the intestine

Answer 4

yes, lactose is found in milk.

Answer 5

Here is more info about your question, I can't post i all so here is the site:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T045700.asp

Answer 6

extremely tough step. research from bing and yahoo. that will may help!