Treatment of lactose intolerance: medication or diet?

The key to successful treatment is a correct diagnosis and whether it is really an allergy or an intolerance.

Adherence to dietary measures in the form of elimination/exclusion of dairy products or lactose from the diet is the key to treatment.

Reducing the intake of milk protein in early infancy can cause inadequate intake of calcium and other necessary nutrients for proper development.

It is therefore advisable to choose other alternative sources of calcium. It is also possible to provide the newborn with lactose-reduced milk formulas. However, the milks still contain cow's milk protein and are therefore not intended for those with milk allergies.

In adolescents and adults, lactose intolerance in the diet is individual and depends on the enzymatic activity of lactase in the intestinal tract. However, it is recommended not to completely exclude lactose from the diet, but rather to individually test which products do and do not cause health problems.

Compared to conventional dairy foods, lactose-free products are slightly more expensive. However, the range is nowadays becoming more and more extensive and it is less and less problematic to find such foods in the range.

A suitable choice for lactose intolerance are plant-based milk substitutes:

• Soya
• Rice
• Oat
• Coconut
• Almond

A possible individual solution is to take a special nutritional supplement in the form of drops or tablets containing the lactase enzyme. This is taken before eating food containing lactose.

The purpose of the nutritional supplement is to relieve undesirable symptoms - especially digestive ones.

However, due to its high allergen content, soya milk is often unsuitable for the treatment of cow's milk protein allergy. Milk from other animal species, such as goats or sheep, is also often not suitable for cross-allergies.

A diet for cow's milk protein allergy sufferers therefore represents the maximum possible exclusion of this allergen from the diet.

It is also suggested in the literature that improving the gut microbiota and gut microbiome will simultaneously improve lactose tolerance and clinical symptoms.