In the June 2011 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study by Theresa Nicklas, et al., found individuals who perceive themselves to be lactose intolerant tend to avoid dairy foods, which may lead to nutrient shortcomings that can predispose them to negative health outcomes such as poor bone health, higher blood pressure and increased risk of colon cancer and diabetes.
The objective of this study was to assess the association between self-perceived lactose intolerance, calcium intake and select health outcomes that have been attributed to reduced intake of calcium and dairy foods in a nationally-representative, multi-ethnic sample of adults. Of the 3,452 respondents, 12.3 percent reported self-perceived lactose intolerance. While gender and race played a factor, interestingly, the results showed that age was not associated with self-perceived lactose intolerance.
In addition, individuals with self-perceived lactose intolerance reported having significantly lower calcium intake from dairy foods and significantly more cases of physician-diagnosed diabetes and hypertension. This indicates that higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension may be associated with lower dairy calcium intake in those with self-perceived lactose intolerance.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The National Dairy Council's The Dairy Report