title: Adaptation of lactose maldigesters to continued milk intakes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nutrition, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Semenya
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Buchowski
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Enwonwu
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Scrimshaw
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D044383:Black People; D001944:Breath Tests; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008892:Milk; D001741:Black or African American