If you've been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, you know how difficult it can be to give up dairy completely. Several alternatives to traditional cow's milk exist to help you continue to enjoy your morning breakfast cereal, "Boston-style" coffee or the family pudding recipe. Acidophilus milk is often recommended as a solution for lactose intolerance sufferers, but is it the right choice for you?
What Is Acidophilus Milk?
Acidophilus milk is cow's milk that has the added bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus. Lactobacilli occur naturally in the body and, like the cultures in yogurt, L. acidophilus is considered a probiotic that can help restore a natural balance to the digestive system. MayoClinic.com also notes that L. acidophilus helps the body produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk and other foods.
Reduction of Symptoms
Acidophilus milk is often recommended for lactose intolerance sufferers because the bacteria it contains help break down the lactose. A 1995 study by researchers at David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, California, concluded that children consuming acidophilus milk experienced a reduction in physical symptoms like gas and bloating, compared to those symptoms when they consumed regular whole milk.
Conflicting Studies
The thing to remember about acidophilus milk is that it is lactose-reduced, not lactose-free. Those with more severe cases of lactose intolerance may discover that acidophilus milk will still produce the uncomfortable symptoms related to their condition. A 2010 report put together by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that due to all the variables in the L. acidophilus studies they reviewed, like sample size and the concentration of probiotics, they could not conclusively determine the benefits from acidophilus milk for lactose intolerance sufferers.
Is Acidophilus Milk Right for Me?
Lactose intolerance is more likely to occur as we age. This means that children typically have more naturally occurring lactase to break down the lactose in milk. Even those with lactose intolerance symptoms should be able to tolerate small amounts of lactose and, as the David Grant U.S. Air Force Medical Center study found, would benefit from replacing the regular milk in their diet with acidophilus milk.
Adults and anyone with severe lactose intolerance should look for "lactose-free" versions of milk instead. The FDA's policy of truth in labeling means that dairy products labeled "lactose-free" should contain absolutely no lactose. Search your local grocery store for cow's milk with added lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. There are also non-dairy milks made from soy or nuts, which are naturally lactose-free.
See Your Doctor
Check with your doctor to confirm your lactose intolerance diagnosis and to get her advice on how strict to be with your diet. The symptoms of lactose intolerance are similar to other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, so it's important to get a professional opinion before you decide on the proper treatment.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- "Journal of Dairy Science"; Effect of Milk Inoculated with Lactobacillus Acidophilus..." David Grant US Air Force Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base; R.G. Montes, et al.; August 1995
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Lactose Intolerance
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Lactose Intolerance and Health; 2010
- FDA: Problems Digesting Dairy Products; 2009
