The main treatment options for LI consists in preventing gastrointestinal symptoms by reducing or eliminating the amount of lactose in the diet or by taking oral enzyme replacement therapy. In order to manage their symptoms, people with LI should avoid eating high-lactose foods, such as fresh milk or cream
[51], while ensuring an adequate intake of nutrients from other foods
[52]. It is also recommended that individuals with LI eat lactose-containing foods together with other foods and that they favor small repeated intakes of lactose over one single meal with a high amount of lactose
[53]. Fermented dairy products like hard cheese, quark, or yogurt are suitable for the majority of individuals with LI
[54]. In fact, most aged hard cheeses naturally contain very little, if any lactose
[51]. Yogurt usually still contains an appreciable amount of lactose, but delivers lactic acid bacteria with beta-galactosidase activity known to improve lactose digestion
[51][52][55].
It should also be noted that lactose is a common additive in many processed foods, such as frozen meals, sweets, cakes, and sauces
[53]. This so-called “hidden lactose” is used for its texture and flavor enhancing properties. Moreover, lactose is commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry as an excipient for oral medications
[56]. The dose of lactose in oral solid-dosage form is generally small as most pharmaceuticals provide less than 2 g of lactose per day. Nevertheless, alternative medications might be necessary for individuals suffering from severe LI
[57]. Overall, individuals with LI should be aware of these hidden or added sources of lactose and their possible impact on LI symptoms when combined.
To support the management of LI, alternative foods that are naturally lactose-free, such as soy products (e.g., tofu, edamame) and plant-based drinks (e.g., soy, almond, and rice drink) are often recommended as an alternative for high-lactose foods
[58]. In addition, the food industry has developed many “low-lactose” and “lactose-free” products using diverse processes to remove lactose from lactose-rich dairy foods
[52]. Lactose can be physically removed from milk using ultrafiltration or chromatographic separation followed by subsequent hydrolysis of the remaining lactose
[59]. Thus, the sensory properties of lactose-free milk produced are not affected, but this process may also remove some valuable minerals, like calcium
[60]. Alternatively, lactose-free milk can be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose to its monosaccharides, glucose and galactose, using microbial beta-galactosidase
[59]. This process is known to generate extra sweetness and may also have an impact on the nutritional value of the hydrolyzed milk
[52]. More recently, the use of “A2 milk” has been shown to reduce some of the gastrointestinal discomfort associated with drinking ordinary cow’s milk in individuals with LI
[61]. “A2 milk” is a variety of cow’s milk containing mostly A2 beta-casein (like human milk, sheep and goat’s milk) that does not metabolize to the peptide beta-casomorphin-7 (BMC-7), which is implicated in adverse gastrointestinal effects, including inflammation
[62]. Interestingly, the gastrointestinal symptoms resulting from the ingestion of cow’s milk in LI individuals are decreased when milk enriched in A2 beta-casein is consumed in place of regular milk (which contains A1 beta-casein)
[61]. This indicates that the gastrointestinal symptoms due to LI might be confounded by the beta-casein variant present in milk.
Finally, in the case where food-based approaches to manage LI are insufficient or not feasible, lactase enzyme replacements may be taken prior to consuming a lactose-containing meal
[63]. This therapeutic option uses exogenous lactase for lactose digestion, like the fungal beta-galactosidase tilactase, which may be helpful as an alternative to dietary restriction and thus avoid possible nutritional deficiencies
[64][65].