Back to Lactose Intolerance and Milk Allergy

How to Reduce the Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

It is unnecessary, and even unwise, to exclude milk products from your diet in order to avoid lactose intolerance symptoms. Low intakes of milk result in low intakes of important milk nutrients: vitamins A, B₆, B₁₂ and D; riboflavin; calcium; magnesium; and protein.^1,2

Varying sources

Symptoms related to milk-product consumption are almost always temporary and do not harm the gastro-intestinal tract. In light of the importance of milk products, it is much better to experiment by choosing milk products that are rich in calcium and low in lactose (see table) than to eliminate these foods from our diets.

Amounts of calcium and lactose in common milk products

Milk product	Amount of calcium (mg)	Amount of lactose (g)
Whole milk, 1 cup	291	13.56
Semi-skimmed milk, 2% M.F., 1 cup	302	12.92
Semi-skimmed milk, 1% M.F., 1 cup	307	13.41
Skim milk, 1 cup	324	13.18
Cheddar cheese, 50 g	360	0.12
Emmenthal Swiss cheese, 50 g	396	0.03
Mozzarella cheese, 50 g	269	0.04
Parmesan cheese, 50 g	554	0.08

Soy beverages are often considered as milk alternatives. While they do not contain lactose, their nutrient content does not always correspond to that of cow’s milk.

Reconditioning the gut^3,4

If you suffer from lactose intolerance, it is important for you to:

Start small
Start with less than 125 mL of milk, 2 to 3 times a day, and slowly increase the amount over a few weeks.
Enjoy with other foods
Drink milk with a meal or with other foods, not by itself.
Watch quantities
Avoid too much at one time. For some people, 2 glasses of milk could be a lactose overdose.
Eat other dairy foods
Try cheeses such as Mozzarella, Cheddar, Swiss, Blue and Brie, which do not contain a lot of lactose, or even yogurt with active bacterial cultures, as these facilitate lactose digestion. Yogurt is generally tolerated even in cases of severe intolerance.
If all else fails
Try lactose-hydrolyzed milk or take a lactase supplement before consuming dairy foods.

Learn more about lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance
Position of pediatricians
Myths surrounding lactose intolerance

References

Barger-Lux MJ et al. Nutritional correlates of low calcium intake. Clin Appl Nutr 1992;2:39-44.
Fleming K and Heimbach JR. Consumption of calcium in the US: food sources and intake levels. J Nutr 1994;124:1426S-1430S.
Miller GD et al. Lactose Intolerance. In: Handbook of Dairy Foods and Nutrition. 2nd ed. Ch. 8:311-354. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, Inc., 2000.
McBean LD and Miller GD. Allaying fears and fallacies about lactose intolerance. J Am Diet Assoc 1998;98(6):671-6.

Keywords: lactose intolerance, health studies

Spotlight on Nutrition

Uncover general practice guidelines for educating clients on how to live with food allergies and intolerances.

Download the PDF

Scientific Evidence Keywords

Milk Allergies

Milk allergies are rare in adults and should not be confused with lactose intolerance. Milk allergies involve immunological reactions, while lactose intolerance involves digestive factors. Milk allergies and lactose intolerance are therefore not similar conditions and should be treated...
Continue reading
Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is the principal carbohydrate in milk. Virtually all mammals are born with high levels of lactase, a unique intestinal enzyme that breaks down lactose, enabling its absorption. In individuals with lactose maldigestion, any lactose that is not completely digested in the small...
Continue reading