If you grew up in the early 2000s or before, you’ll probably remember this classic scene: mums chasing their kids around the house, trying to get them to gulp down their morning glass of milk—whether plain or jazzed up with Bournvita, Complan, Boost, or a spoonful of drinking chocolate. For generations, mothers have employed various strategies to ensure their children receive their recommended daily intake of calcium and protein.
And kids? Well, they always fell into two camps — those who happily downed their milk in seconds and those who ran from it like it was a plague. But love it or hate it, most of us were forced to drink at least half a cup. But somewhere along the way, as our mugs of Bournvita and Complan gave way to cups of coffee, many of us started noticing how our stomachs felt so much better without milk. Or maybe it was more gradual—like how the splash of milk in our coffee kept getting smaller, thanks to the bloating and those strange, uncomfortable cramps.
Suddenly, everyone’s saying they can’t handle dairy anymore—but is lactose intolerance a new thing, or are we just waking up to it now? Dr Aarti Ullal, a physician and diabetologist at Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, says it’s the latter. “More people are recognising that their gut issues, like bloating or cramps, might be linked to dairy,” she says. “Plus, with so many going dairy-free and feeling better, it’s pushing them to get checked sooner.”
Tripti Gupta, lifestyle clinical nutritionist and founder of Mumbai-based iPink The Color Of Health, says that it also has to do with the depleting quality of milk. “Dairy is not the same anymore. Maybe the milk is diluted, and the cows are injected with hormones, so there’s no way to guarantee the authenticity of the milk we’re getting today. Secondly, the microbiological balance in the gut has also slightly shifted because of the change in the way people are eating, their lifestyles, their dietary habits, and increasing stress in the body. So these factors are destroying the healthy bacteria in the gut and interfering with proper digestion,” she says.
Dr Ullal explains lactose intolerance as a digestive condition where the body fails to break down lactose, the natural sugar found in milk and dairy products. This happens because of low levels of lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose. This condition is commonly seen in children and adults. While it can be a genetic condition, you can also develop it later in life. “As we age, the body naturally tends to produce less lactase. Certain gut infections, digestive disorders, or damage to the small intestine can also reduce lactase production, and one can suffer from lactose intolerance,” she explains.
Twenty-seven-year-old marketing professional Ava Gilder first realised she was lactose intolerant in 2018. She was a college student living on cereal and milk. “I would get violently sick after eating it, throw up and get the runs. I’d lose my appetite and couldn’t function for a few hours after that,” she recalls. Gilder suspects she has been lactose intolerant since childhood, but has just never realised it. “I had just accepted that I was supposed to feel odd and uncomfortable after eating dairy. I never considered that it might be a problem.” She stopped consuming dairy shortly after and experimented with different products to see what works and what doesn’t.
Growing up, Isha Shah, now 23 years old, found comfort in curd-rice and buttermilk. But things started to change when she turned 20 and noticed her skin breaking out more often, especially after consuming dairy. “I went to a dermatologist to get my acne checked, and that’s when she suggested cutting out dairy for a while. Shah recalls that the dermatologist linked many skin issues to her diet. “Once I stopped, my skin began to clear up.” It was around the same time that Shah also realised something else—ever since she was 16 or 17, dairy would often leave her feeling nauseous and bloated. Oddly, though, she never suspected an intolerance, especially since paneer and ice cream didn’t seem to cause any issues.
Gupta explains that she’s noticed the prevalence of lactose intolerance the most in teenage girls and women above 45 who are approaching menopause. “It has a lot to do with the hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, and many teenage girls today are developing PCOD, thyroid, and hormonal imbalances, which are related to the quality of dairy they’ve been getting versus what was available before.” She also explains that these conditions are more common in her female patients.
Certain signs and symptoms can help you figure out whether dairy is your friend or quietly wreaking havoc in your body. “Symptoms typically show up within one to two hours of consuming foods that contain lactose, and their intensity often depends on how much was eaten,” explain Dr. Ullal and Gupta.
Common red flags include bloating, stomach cramps, gas, and diarrhoea after having milk or dairy products Some people may also experience nausea or a gurgling, unsettled stomach.
Just because your gut can’t handle dairy doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your daily cappuccino or that dreamy gelato. Thankfully, as more people wake up to lactose intolerance, alt-milk options are booming. According to a report in the Financial Express, GlobalData’s Q4 2023 consumer survey found that 79% of Indian shoppers now look for plant-based features—either as a must-have or a nice bonus—when picking products.
Ahmedabad-based Natasha Shukla of Coffee at Coffeeverse, the B2C coffee brand by Roastery Cultúr, notes that the alt-milk wave has been building since 2021. “We’ve seen a steady shift in cafes, with more people discovering lactose intolerance or simply leaning towards different taste preferences,” she says.
According to Natasha Hemani, co-founder of Mumbai’s Blondie, customer behaviour is evolving rapidly. “Since opening, we’ve seen a steady rise in demand for dairy alternatives — today, they make up over 65% of all milk-based drink orders. This points to a deeper awareness around health and diet, with many guests either recognising lactose sensitivity later in life or proactively choosing plant-based options,” she explains. Hemani notes that oats and almond milk are the most popular picks—oats for their smooth, creamy texture and almonds for those who enjoy a light, nutty flavour.
Gupta explains that the main advantage of switching to dairy alternatives is simply being able to enjoy dairy-like foods without the discomfort. However, from a nutritional standpoint, these substitutes don’t match up to milk’s natural protein quality or its B vitamin content. “That said, not drinking milk doesn’t mean your body will lack protein — we get essential amino acids from many other foods,” she adds.
“For vegetarians, protein comes from sources like pulses and legumes—rajma, chana, matki, soybean, corn, and green peas,” explains Gupta. “However, these are incomplete proteins, which means they don’t provide all the essential amino acids. To get complete nutrition, they need to be paired with a grain, like rice or roti, so the amino acids in each complement the other.” For non-vegetarians, she adds, “foods like chicken, fish, and eggs offer complete proteins, so even without dairy, they can meet their protein needs.”
To get calcium, Gupta recommends incorporating seeds like sesame, chia, and poppy, as well as ragi, into your diet to make up for what you’d typically get from dairy.
Lactose intolerance isn’t here to rival matcha lattes on the trend charts—it’s a growing reality shaped by genetics, gut health, and the changing quality of our food. As more people connect dairy with discomfort, alt-milks and conscious eating aren’t just wellness buzzwords—they’re practical shifts to match evolving lifestyles and bodies. If you’re lucky enough to have escaped the lactose intolerance monster, great. If not, there’s a whole world of creamy cappuccinos, dreamy gelatos, and gut-friendly indulgences powered by alt-milks waiting sans any bathroom sprints.
