Surprising Facts About Lactose Intolerance

It's not as widespread as many people think. Today, what is commonly called lactose "intolerance," researchers call "maldigestion." Only a small fraction of people with lactose maldigestion have a true intolerance to milk products.

If you think you may be lactose intolerant, talk to your doctor. Avoid self-diagnosis. Other health problems have similar symptoms, which may be signs of more serious conditions. Sometimes an intolerance to milk is only temporary, brought on by certain medications or by illnesses such as the flu.

The amount of lactose someone can comfortably consume depends largely on their own lactase level. People who are lactose intolerant don't have enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Lactose is the sugar found in milk.

Why are dairy products important? About 75 percent of the calcium in the American diet comes from dairy foods. Because this mineral is so essential to good health, don't let lactose intolerance keep you from consuming enough calcium.

Even if you are lactose intolerant, in most cases it doesn't mean giving up milk. Drink milk with a snack to slow digestion. Start with small portions of milk. Cheese has most of the lactose removed. Aged hard cheeses, such as Cheddar and Colby are particularly low in lactose. Try cultured milk products such as yogurt, which contain "friendly" bacteria that help digest lactose.

To make it easy, try dairy digestive supplements (lactase) which can help you digest milk easily.

Information provided by the National Dairy Council with review by the American Gastroenterological Association.