The labels on food can be confusing, misleading and sometimes fudge the truth. I got asked the other day what the diff was between LACTOSE-FREE & DAIRY-FREE, so if this ones tripped you up before, here’s the dealio…

LACTOSE-FREE – these are usually still made from dairy products, but with the lactose removed.
DAIRY-FREE – are made from plant-based origins and are suitable for vegans.
Lactose intolerance affects a huge amount of people in varying degrees. Up to 70% of the worldwide population suffers lactose intolerance in some form. It’s caused when the body doesn’t produce enough LACTASE (an enzyme) to digest the LACTOSE (sugar found in milk) properly. This means the sugars travel down to your intestine, feed the gut bacteria and can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea. Sounds crap (boom, tish).
If you have an intolerance to whey or casein (the proteins in milk), which can cause sufferers joint pain and brain fog, then opting for dairy-free is the smart option. Or you could try sheep or goats milk, as the casein in their milk is different and causes little or no issue in consumers.
Paleo eating removes dairy from the mix due to all of the above. The paleo way is to remove foods that can cause digestive or inflammatory issues.
If you can tolerate some dairy and want to add a little to your paleo diet, the best options are:
– full fat grass fed butter (very low levels of lactose), ghee and fermented products Like kefir.