Are there any lactose free versions of Ensure or other nutritional drinks?

Valerie, that might help. You may not have heard this, but back in the 1940s when the Allied soldiers reached the people in concentration camps, they gave the prisoners food, and a lot of the people in the camps then died from a sort of food shock, as they were so unused to receiving so many nutrients at one. The people who survived were the ones who somehow knew to reintroduce food slowly, by only eating a little at a time.

You should google Abbott or Nestlee nutrition to look up there products. Abbott makes Ensure and Nestlee makes Boost. You can search for products specific to your needs. Another thing about Ensure or Boost suppl. If you are in an active flare with a stricture you may not be able to tolerate it because the product is slightly thick.

ivy6 said...
Valerie, that might help. You may not have heard this, but back in the 1940s when the Allied soldiers reached the people in concentration camps, they gave the prisoners food, and a lot of the people in the camps then died from a sort of food shock, as they were so unused to receiving so many nutrients at one. The people who survived were the ones who somehow knew to reintroduce food slowly, by only eating a little at a time.

Really? Wow, that is crazy! It would make a lot of sense. I was 110 lbs and dropped down to around 85 lbs during my last flare, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if I had pretty bad malnutrition from it. Luckily my appetite is back and bigger than ever, but it is true that when I first started getting better, I had to eat in tiny amounts. I would almost regurgitate anything that would come out of my mouth anyway, because my stomach wasn't used to having food in it. It's a really hard cycle to break once you get into it. I never knew that you could actually DIE from food shock though. Scary thought!

Correct, Lactase is essential for digestive hydrolysis of lactose in milk. Deficiency of the enzyme causes lactose intolerance.

Rider Fan, one can have intolerance to lactose, but the other is an allergy not an intolerance (the milk protein/casein).  You can get tested for lactose intolerance and for milk allergy, I've been tested for lactose intolerance and I was extreamly intolerant, luckily taking the primadophilus reuteri daily has aided me with that.

:)

RiderFan - I had a test done years ago that determined I was allergic to milk protein (I think they just tested a stool sample). However, just recently I asked my new GI if they could retest since a lot of people grow out of milk protein allergies, and he said that those tests are unreliable in the first place and he thinks the doctors probably based it on the test plus my symptoms.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Boost is lactose free. I drink 2 every day. In the hospital they gave me ensure with every meal. It's okay but I like the taste of boost better..

Soy, which is a legume like peanuts, is fast becoming an allergen. But it can be just hard to digest for many. My daughter has a pretty severe allergy probably due to her being on a soy formula as an infant after I couldn't breastfeed.

I'm not allergic to it, but in large amounts it bothers me. I'm better able to drink the Boost brand, which has some milk and soy product but is lactose free.

Ensure and Boost in the liquid shake form contains carageenan. Ensure powder does not. I'd get the powder form for sure.

I occasionally drink Ensure plus but do not feel good after drinking it. My problems with milk seem to be caused by factors other than the lactose. I tested this by taking lactase enzyme and also tried drinking lactose free milk. While they did lessen the gas, the bloat, diarrhea, and sick feeling remained.   I just read that Ensure Products do not contain lactose or the casein protein???

Post Edited (dorri) : 10/27/2013 8:27:42 PM (GMT-6)

ensure says it is safe for lactose intolerant that is not the same as being lactose free. Another think that people fail to realize is that it is not just lactose that is the problem as the food and drug would have you to think. It is milk protein period which includes whey and casein. these cause much more inflammation than lactose and a lot of the inflammation is silent, you don't feel it until your surgeon is saying you have a stricture that is so inflamed that they need to cut it. That is not good. Ensure has milk protein. milk protein is a huge trigger for inflammation even in people with no disease diagnosis. Casein is just as much of a problem as lactose but it causes a lot of the hidden inflammation; the kind you don't feel. The food and drug is the food and drug admin for a reason. The two administrations were put together decades ago. They used to be separate. If you give people bad food, then they need drugs(meds) or surgery and the meds have their own set of problems. The two industries work hand in hand. Health is not big business. Sickness is a trillion dollar industry. If they heal you, who will pay the salaries? Think about it. any way, I am a nurse, my husband has had a chron's diagnosis since he was a boy. When he was dairy free (and a vegetarian) he was good, when he discovered ensure and lactaid milk and lactaid ice cream he began getting strictures.He also started eating regular meat with the antibiotics and everything else they feed the poor animals, they put him on asechol and now he may need surgery, obviously medicine and lactose free didn't do a thing. I know there are absorption problems so he needs the meat but i told him to stick to grass fed meat which is so much healthier and less inflammatory. Ensure's ingredients list says milk protein. That is what you need to steer clear of not just lactose.

I have a problem with milk protein used in most ensure and boost products. But after closely looking I found that Ensure high protein has no parts of milk in them.
I was the same as you and they were bothering my stomach. The high protein ones seem to be ok.

Tanya

I'm on Elemental 028, or e028 by Nutricia, which I believe are lactose free.