Just though some of you lactose intolerant folks might want some good news. If you have a electric yogurt machine (Urban Homemaker sell them) you can remove all the lactose from homemade yogurt by leaving it in the machine for 24 hours or more. The acidopholus consumes the lactose. Make sure to use ACIDOPHOLUS yogurt (like Dannon) for your starter. WE purchased a ice cream maker at a garage sale and we use this lactose free yogurt to make our own ice cream - much better than that soy stuff! You can also use this lactose free yogurt in all your recipes that call for milk!

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), January 25, 2001

Answers

Does that mean that live culture commercial yougurts are lactose free? I'm confused.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 27, 2001.

No, the live culture yogurts at the store have a very short incubation period (about 5-7 hours I think). To remove all the lactose from yogurt it must be incubated for 24 hours or more. This makes an electric yogurt machine essential.

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), January 27, 2001.

Hmmm... I thought that is what made yogurt yogurt. The lactose is converted into another form. I am lactose intolerant and have always been able to eat any yogurt. Is this hyped up as a "selling point" on this machine? Hate to sound negative, but many people are so uninformed about lactose intolerance and it seems to be one of the newest health crazes lately.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), January 29, 2001.

No, I do not sell yogurt makers or invest in the company that does. People have different tolerances for lactose and unless I am mistaken there are traces of lactose left in most store bought yogurts. I ran across a woman about a month ago who was having trouble with low calcium problems and the calcium tablets were not doing her good. She gets sick with the smalllest trace of lactose and cannot eat store bought yogurt. She can however eat the yogurt I make at home. She was very pleased to discover this and has enjoyed the health benifits of a more reliable calcium source in her diet since. I, on the other hand have no trouble with store bought yogurt - but some do. But I began making and eating yogurt because of other intestinal problems that required me to avoid lactose - not genetic type lactose intolerance. I just thought the info might help others who needed a more natural calcium source in their diet. I am not big on artificial supplements. I think we should get our nutrients from food or food based supplements whenever possible. Having formerly sold dietary supplements, I am completely unimpressed with ALL the calcium supplements out there - even those so called "natural" brands. I think they could possibley lead to kidney and gall stones. I met a midwife once who told me that she can tell when her clients are taking calcium supplements because they have calcuim deposits in the placenta. This made an impression on me. She felt this was not good for the developing baby.

-- Tifani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), January 30, 2001.