Sheep's milk, Lactose free?

Factual Questions
1

Hello, all. I am a singer who is mildly lactose intolerant, so although I can consume conventional dairy products, I always seek out lactose free foods. I just picked up some cheese made from sheep’s milk, and was informed that it is ideal for lactose intolerant people as it has no adverse affect on them. What is the difference between cow milk and sheep milk? Does sheep milk simply not contain lactose, or is it broken down in some way? How does goat’s milk fit into that equation? And are there any other naturally lactose free milk products that anyone can turn me on to?

Thanks. (-: - Freewill39.

2

Sheep and goat’s milk both contain lactose, but depending on your sensitivity you may be able to drink them or eat cheeses/yogurt made from them. Cheeses, particularly hard, aged cheeses made with goat/sheep’s milk, tend to be low enough in lactose that many lactose intolerant people can eat them; they have only trace amounts of lactose left.

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/print/0,9688,525825,00.html
“In addition, there are a number of cow’s milk substitutes, some simply lower in lactose, others lactose-free. Goat’s milk and sheep’s milk, as well as cheeses made from these milks, have less lactose than cow’s milk and may be tolerated in less severe cases. Soya drinks contain no lactose, come sweetened and unsweetened and can, in many cases, be used as a substitute in baking foods that would normally use cow’s milk. Dairy-free margarine and spreads are available in many health food shops and can also be used in baking.”

3

I thought singers didn’t drink milk? Especially before singing, because of the mucus buildup it caused…

4

Milk doesn’t cause mucus build up; that’s a myth.

5

Well I’m positive that Sprite and basically all cokes cause the mucus buildup though. LOL cause inevitably (sp?) after lunch at work I have to clear my throat alot.

6

It is also a myth that sheep’s milk or cheeses made from sheep’s milk has any less lactose than the cow or goat equivalents.

This page shows the percentages for milks.

It’s true that aged cheeses generally have less lactose and that the longer the cheese is aged the lower the lactose percentage. But this is equally true for all cheeses.

It is possible that people with cow’s milk protein allergies may have fewer symptoms from other types of milk, because the array of proteins differs slightly from animal to animal.

The site I linked to has a Products section with large numbers of lactose-free and casein-free milk substitutes of all types. Click on the Products link on the left side of the page.