American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 58, 879-881, Copyright © 1993 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Adaptation of lactose maldigesters to continued milk intakes

AO Johnson, JG Semenya, MS Buchowski, CO Enwonwu and NS Scrimshaw
Center for Nutrition, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208.

Twenty-five lactose-maldigesting and lactose-intolerant African Americans, ranging in age from 13 to 39 y, were given gradually increasing amounts of lactose in milk over a period of time until the maximum lactose dose tolerated was determined. Seventeen (77%) of the 22 subjects who completed the study tolerated > or = 12 g lactose and 5 (23%) tolerated < 12 g. Breath-hydrogen tests done on each subject with the maximum dose of lactose tolerated showed that only four (18%) had a breath-hydrogen concentration < 5 ppm above fasting concentration. This study suggests that the majority of African-American young adults who claim intolerance to moderate amounts of milk can ultimately adapt and tolerate > or = 12 g lactose in milk (the equivalent of 8 oz of full- lactose milk) with minimal or no discomfort if milk is ingested in gradually increasing amounts. The mechanism of adaptation is assumed to be an increased tolerance to colonic lactose-fermentation products.

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