NIH Panel: Avoiding Dairy Due to Lactose Intolerance Is Unnecessary in Most Cases and May Pose Diet, Health Risks

People may avoid milk and other dairy products due to concerns about lactose intolerance, but eliminating these nutrient-rich foods may not only be unnecessary to manage the condition - it could impact diet and health, concluded a panel of experts assembled by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in February.

The NIH Consensus Development Conference on Lactose Intolerance and Health convened to examine the latest research on lactose intolerance, strategies to manage the condition and the health outcomes of diets that exclude dairy foods. After a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the Consensus Development Conference panel completed a draft consensus statement that is intended to correct some of the common misperceptions about lactose intolerance, including the belief that dairy foods need to be excluded from the diet.

The panel said that without low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products in the diet, it's hard to meet nutrient needs, and available research suggests people with lactose intolerance can tolerate at least 12 grams of lactose, the amount in about 1 cup of milk, with no or minor symptoms. Plus, gradually re-introducing dairy into the diet can help manage symptoms and help people with lactose intolerance benefit from dairy's unique nutrient package, including calcium, vitamin D, protein, potassium and other nutrients that are critical for bone health and beyond.