title: Systematic review and meta-analysis of lactose digestion, its impact on intolerance and nutritional effects of dairy food restriction in inflammatory bowel diseases.
abstract: Relationships between inflammatory bowel disease and lactose containing foods remain controversial and poorly defined regarding symptoms, nutritional outcomes, and epidemiologic associations for lactose maldigestion.
  
  
  
  A literature review was performed using Pub Med, Cochrane library and individual references, to extract data on lactose maldigestion prevalence in inflammatory bowel diseases. A meta-analysis was done using selected articles, to determine odds ratios of maldigestion. Information was collected about symptoms, impact on pattern of dairy food consumption, as well as the effects of dairy foods on the course of inflammatory bowel diseases.
  
  
  
  A total of 1022 articles were evaluated, 35 articles were retained and 5 studies were added from review articles. Of these 17 were included in meta-analysis which showed overall increased lactose maldigestion in both diseases. However increased risk on sub analysis was only found in Crohn's in patients with small bowel involvement. Nine additional studies were reviewed for symptoms, with variable outcomes due to confounding between lactose intolerance and lactose maldigestion. Fourteen studies were evaluated for dairy food effects. There was a suggestion that dairy foods may protect against inflammatory bowel disease. Nutritional consequences of dairy restrictions might impact adversely on bone and colonic complications.
  
  
  
  Lactose maldigestion in inflammatory bowel disease is dependent on ethnic makeup of the population and usually not disease. No bias of increased disease prevalence was noted between lactase genotypes. Intolerance symptoms depend on several parameters besides lactose maldigestion. Dairy foods may decrease risks of inflammatory bowel disease. Dairy restrictions may adversely affect disease outcome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Room E-110,3755 Cote Ste Catherine Rd, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada. aszilagy@jgh.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6569-8495
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szilagyi
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Room E-110,3755 Cote Ste Catherine Rd, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada.
authors.forename: Polymnia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galiatsatos
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D003611:Dairy Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004063:Digestion; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D043322:Lactase / Q000378:metabolism; D007785:Lactose / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D043322:Lactase; D007785:Lactose
keywords: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Intolerance; Lactose malabsorption