Got Milk? For Patric Reinbold the answer is always no.
Reinbold, junior, is lactose intolerant, so he tends to avoid most dairy products. While some people are born lactose intolerant, it is more common for the condition to develop or become more pronounced over time, he said.
“Even when I was a baby, I didn’t respond well to milk,” Reinbold said. “But we didn’t actually confirm that I was lactose intolerant until about fifth grade.”
Reinbold does not feel his restriction greatly affects his life because he is still able to eat the majority of the foods he enjoys.
“I still eat small amounts of things with milk in them, but I just don’t drink plain milk, and obviously I don’t eat cream cheese or yogurt or anything like that,” Reinbold said.
His family is accommodating, but it is not particularly an inconvenience for them either. Reinbold said they prefer Silk soymilk to regular milk anyway, and soymilk has been shown to be healthier than regular milk due to its lower fat content.
Although his lactose intolerance is not typically an issue for Reinbold, there are still concerns for him to keep in mind. Foods with lactose contain important nutrients for the body.
“One time I had calcuim deficiency, so now I have to take supplements because most people get their calcium from milk and cheese and other dairy products,” Reinbold said.
Although lactose intolerance is typically viewed as an inconvenience, it is simply a part of Reinbold’s life he has gotten used to.
“It isn’t really that much of a limitation,” Reinbold said.
