Whether you’re talking about a cold glass of milk, creamy yogurt, or flavorful cheese, dairy foods taste great and offer a powerful nutritional punch. And those with lactose intolerance don’t have to miss out on the enjoyment or health benefits of low-fat and fat-free dairy foods.

Different people can handle different amounts of lactose, and there’s a solution to meet most needs in the dairy case – from lactose-free milk to dairy foods that are typically easier to digest. For example, aged cheeses are naturally lower in lactose and many yogurts contain live and active cultures which help digest lactose.

Multimedia

Presentations

Webinar: "New Directions in Lactose Intolerance: Moving From Science to Solutions"
Continuing Education Credit
"Webinar Slides (PDF version): Lactose Intolerance: Health Consequences and Nutrition Solutions"
Webinar Recording: "Lactose Intolerance: Health Consequences and Nutrition Solutions"     Continuing Education Credit
NEW! Lactose Intolerance: Dispelling Myths and Helping People Enjoy Milk, Cheese & Yogurt Turnkey Presentation

Supportive Science

NEW! National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Lactose Intolerance & Health: Draft Statement (February 2010)
National Medical Association Lactose Intolerance and African Americans: Implications for the Consumption of Appropriate Intake Levels of Key Nutrients (October 2009)
NEW! Scientific Summary: National Medical Association's Report on Lactose Intolerance and African Americans
NEW! Scientific Summary: Prevalence of Self-reported Lactose Intolerance in a Multi-ethnic Sample of Adults (Nutrition Today, Sept/Oct 2009)
American Academy of Pediatrics Lactose Intolerance Report (September 2006)
AAP News, June 2007: Clearing Up Confusion on the Role of Dairy in Children's Diets
National Medical Association Consensus Report (December 2004)
Key Findings: National Medical Association Consensus Report (December 2004)
Jarvis JK, Miller GD. "Overcoming the barrier of lactose intolerance to reduce health disparities." Journal of the National Medical Association 2002 Feb;94(2):55-66
Buchowski, et al., "Dietary calcium intake in lactose maldigesting intolerant and tolerant African-American women." Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2002 Feb; 21(1):47-54
Jackson, K., Savaiano, D., "Lactose maldigestion, calcium intake and osteoporosis in African, Asian and Hispanic Americans." Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2001 20: 198S-207S.
Suarez, FL., et al. "Tolerance to the daily ingestion of two cups of milk by individuals claiming lactose intolerance." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 1997; 65: 1502 - 1506

Fact Sheets

Dairy's Role in African-American Health Fact Sheet

 Handouts

Lactose Intolerance & Minorities: The Real Story
The Lowdown on Lactose Intolerance: Making the Most of Milk
Lactose Intolerance and Your Child

Dairy Council Digest

Lactose Intolerance Revisited Volume 79, Number 5 September/October 2008