Can acidophilus milk help with lactose intolerance?

Can acidophilus milk help with lactose intolerance?

It might help some people a little, but it is not a dependable fix. Acidophilus milk is milk with Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria added. Most versions still contain the lactose that comes with the milk, so a person with lactose intolerance can still react.

What is acidophilus milk?

The common “sweet acidophilus milk” is regular milk with live acidophilus cultures added without fermenting it, so it tastes like normal milk. Cultured or fermented versions such as acidophilus yogurt or kefir are more sour. Labels differ, so check the carton for “lactose-free” if that is what you need.

What does the evidence say?

• One small randomized trial gave adults a specific strain (DDS-1) as a daily capsule for 4 weeks. Some symptom scores improved against placebo, but only 22 people finished, the sponsor was involved, and the authors called the results preliminary.
• The US National Institutes of Health says probiotic effects are strain-specific: a benefit from one strain does not mean another works the same, and researchers often cannot tell which strains or doses help.
• That means the results do not automatically apply to a carton of acidophilus milk.

What works better

• Lactose-free milk: sold in many grocery stores, and the NIDDK describes lactose-free products as nutritionally comparable to regular milk.
• Lactase products taken with dairy.
• Small servings with meals: many people can handle about 12 grams of lactose (about one cup of milk) with mild or no symptoms.
• Yogurt and hard cheeses: the NIDDK says these are lower in lactose than other dairy and often easier to tolerate.

When to see a doctor

If you have ongoing stomach pain, bloating or diarrhea after dairy, ask a doctor before cutting out dairy or relying on supplements. Symptoms can have other causes.

General information, not medical advice.