Allergy information

Dairy products and allergies

Cutting milk and dairy foods from the diet due to “lactose intolerance” is common, and leads to the exclusion of a whole food group rich in essential nutrients.

This can lower intakes of nutrients such as calcium, riboflavin, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin B12 and high quality protein in addition to other important nutrients.

However, researchers report that many individuals who think they are lactose intolerant actually are not.

One study involving 30 adults who described themselves as severely lactose intolerant found that 30% were able to effectively absorb lactose.

So lactose maldigestion doesn’t mean that milk or any other dairy foods that contain lactose need to be eliminated from the diet.

Some dairy foods, such as yogurts and cheeses, have naturally lower lactose content than milk. Often these foods can be consumed in larger quantities than milk without exacerbating symptoms.

Consumption of milk in small amounts throughout the day, particularly with solid foods at mealtimes often increases tolerance. Chocolate milk may be better tolerated than plain milk.

In addition, several lactose reduced dairy foods are now available on the market.