That uncomfortable ache you’re feeling in your tummy could be Lactose Intolerance, which is your body’s innate response to the overconsumption of Milk sugar in your diet. The disorder, which may lead to mild to intense diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating, and gas roughly 30 minutes after ingesting or drinking foods containing lactose, takes place when you don’t make sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which is what helps sugar in milk be broken down. 

It’s not fun, but the bright side is that it doesn’t threaten your life. An estimated 50 million Americans deal with lactose intolerance, a big number of them being Black. Today BlackDoctor.Org will list five lactose-free alternatives to ditch the discomfort of too much Dairy.

RELATED: Got Milk? African Americans & Lactose Intolerance

Dairy Alternatives

Currently, there is no specific or ideal therapy option to combat this allergy, so dairy alternatives may be your best bet. It’s imperative for anyone considering shifting to dairy-free to know about the nutrients that they were receiving from dairy and to eat them in other foods. The nutrients you want to include in your diet if you no longer consume dairy products are calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Here are five dairy alternatives that can support you in taking in the nutrients required when adopting a dairy-free diet:

1. Oat Milk

Plant-based milks aren’t solely for vegans. The prevalence of lactose intolerance within the Black community widens the market for oat, almond, and cashew milk products to be appreciated by flexitarians as well. 

Nowadays, oat milk is taking over dairy milk at breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables throughout the US. 

Not only is oat milk a wonderful alternative for those with allergies, but it also doesn’t have nuts, lactose, soy, and gluten (if derived from gluten-free oats). 

2. Coconut Milk

One of the yummiest and healthiest dairy-free, plant-based milk options is coconut milk, a liquid that you can find naturally inside ripe coconuts, stored within the meat of the coconut. When you go through the process of blending and straining that coconut meat, it becomes a thicker, coconut milk-like liquid. 

Coconut milk is totally free from dairy, lactose, and soy. Although cow’s milk is filled with more