Bactose is a company that produces capsules that claim to produce lactase enzymes for people who are lactose intolerant. These capsules are exclusively sold on Amazon, as far as I could see from searching the web.
What are their claims?
“Throw Away Your Lactase Pills! A probiotic that actively produces excess lactase enzymes directly in the gut helping your body naturally digest lactose.”
“Use only 7 days, Bactose works the entire month.”
“L. Acidophilus super strain- Our unique strain does an amazing job at digesting lactose.”
“Eat the Foods you love! No longer worry about foods that contain dairy.”
“Healthier gut. It’s not just for dairy- it’s super for gut health.”
“BACTOSE DOESN’T CONTAIN LACTASE, IT PRODUCES IT! Bactose is a L. Acidophilus Super Strain that works like little factories producing excess Lactase enzymes directly in the gut and adheres better to the intestinal lining where it does its work, effectively creating a one of a kind Lactose Intolerance Supplement.”
– Found on the Bactose Amazon store page.
Understandably, I was equally excited and skeptical when I first heard about this product. They make some bold claims when it comes to helping people with lactose intolerance.
There are lots of people out there with varying degrees of lactose intolerance, yet it doesn’t mention anything about that. There isn’t an option for a stronger or a weaker dose based off of how much dairy you can handle. This seemed strange to me, since people have to figure out how many lactase pills to eat at a certain meal for an allotted amount of dairy. It’s hard for me to believe that one “miracle” probiotic can help every lactose-intolerant person out there.
Since Bactose is a dietary supplement, it has not been approved by the FDA, and so Bactose doesn’t claim to fix or cure lactose intolerance.
Bactose claims that dairy is no longer a concern, but it made me wonder- how well does it work? Can I have half of a pizza and then a scoop of ice cream without negative effects? Or do I have to make sure to not eat too much dairy at one time?
After deliberating for a few weeks, I decided to take the plunge and try it out for a month.
My Experience with Bactose
I ordered the probiotics on Amazon and they came within the next week. I started taking them, one capsule with breakfast and one with dinner, for 7 days.
I then tentatively started trying dairy products out to see how much it actually helped- or if it was all the placebo effect.
Ice cream was first, and I didn’t have any of my usual side effects. However, if I had large amounts of cheese or milk, I felt very uncomfortable. Not as bad as I would have without any lactase at all, but I definitely noticed the gas. (As did my hubby- sorry, honey!)
I continued to test the limits with my newfound freedom and learned how much dairy I could comfortably eat in a day. It was a relief to not have to check everything for dairy or carry lactase pills with me at all times.
The Bactose Amazon store front claims that the effects can last up to a month, but some people might find that the effects end sooner than that. Unfortunately, I was one of the people that found the effects wearing off within three weeks of taking the pills.
How Much Does Bactose Cost?
A pack of 14 Bactose capsules costs $34.99 on Amazon. That’s $2.50 a capsule- Ouch! It’s pretty expensive to it’s counterpart, lactase pills.
That being said, lactase pills have to be taken with every meal, snack, or dessert that contains dairy. Bactose only has to be taken every three to four weeks. So if a person is eating dairy in every meal, Bactose would be more cost effective for them. I tend to eat lactose-free dairy or occasionally use lactase tablets, so buying bactose isn’t as useful for me.
Is Bactose Worth it?
Personally, I don’t know that I would buy Bactose again. It’s pretty expensive and it doesn’t last the claimed four weeks, at least for me. While it was a relief to not have to worry about what was in my food, it was frustrating that I could only eat so much dairy. The way that Bactose advertised the capsules made me think I could eat dairy like my husband does, but no dice.
Maybe for other people that don’t have as severe lactose intolerance, this probiotic would work really well for them. If you decide to try out Bactose, let me know about your experience!
Lackin' Lactose 