THURSDAY, April 22 (HealthDay News) -- Most people with presumed lactose intolerance or malabsorption can tolerate about a cup of milk daily, according to research published online April 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Aasma Shaukat, M.D., of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and colleagues reviewed 36 randomized controlled trials published between 1967 and 2009 to determine the maximum dose of lactose tolerated by people with lactose intolerance and malabsorption, and the effectiveness of interventions.
The researchers found moderate evidence that most adults with lactose intolerance or malabsorption can handle the amount of lactose found in one cup of milk -- about 12 to 15 g. There was insufficient evidence to suggest that lactose-reduced solution or milk with a lactose content of 0 to 2 g helps control symptoms, or that probiotics, colonic adaptation and other agents are effective for that purpose.
"Most individuals with presumed lactose intolerance or malabsorption can tolerate 12 to 15 g of lactose. Additional studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of lactose intolerance treatment," the authors write.
