Lactose Intolerance and Its Dietary Management: An Update

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Food Science

Background:

• Milk is a global staple, but lactose intolerance affects a significant portion of the population.
• Avoiding milk due to lactose intolerance can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
• Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose due to insufficient lactase enzyme.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore lactose intolerance and its implications.
• To investigate plant-based beverages as a viable alternative to milk.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on lactose intolerance.
• Analysis of nutritional profiles of plant-based beverages.
• Assessment of calcium content and absorption in plant-based alternatives.

Main Results:

• Soy beverage is an economical alternative with comparable calcium to cow's milk.
• Probiotics may alleviate lactose intolerance symptoms.
• Calcium absorption in fortified plant-based drinks varies with the calcium salt used.

Conclusions:

• Plant-based beverages can serve as effective milk alternatives for lactose-intolerant individuals.
• Nutritional content, particularly calcium, is a key consideration in choosing alternatives.
• Further research into calcium bioavailability in fortified beverages is warranted.