Flavored lactose-free milk and symptoms in lactose-intolerant Korean adults
What it found
Flavored lactose-free milk led to far fewer gut symptoms and lower hydrogen breath levels than regular chocolate milk.
This was seen in 28 South Korean adults with lactose intolerance.
What they found
Studies in people
Breath hydrogen levels
After drinking whole milk, average breath hydrogen rose by 33.3 ppm. After lactose-free milk, it rose by only 8.6 ppm.
Digestive symptoms
Total symptom scores dropped from about 4.18 after whole milk to about 0.61 after lactose-free milk.
Tolerance of lactose-free milk
The authors say flavored lactose-free milk was well tolerated by these adults based on breath tests and symptom surveys.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that flavored lactose-free milk was well tolerated by South Korean adults with lactose intolerance.
- They suggest lactose-free milk may be a practical alternative to regular whole milk for these individuals.
How it was done
Lactose-free dairy products are widely sold for people who cannot digest lactose, but the authors say scientific proof that they work is still lacking.
They tested 28 South Korean adults diagnosed with lactose intolerance. Each person drank 570 mL of chocolate whole milk containing 20 g of lactose, then later drank 570 mL of chocolate lactose-free milk containing 0 g of lactose. Breath hydrogen and symptoms were measured after each drink.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study followed people over a short period, so it cannot show long-term effects of switching to lactose-free milk.
- It only tested chocolate-flavored milk, so results might differ for plain or other flavors.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Korea; Cheonan-Woori Hospital, Korea; Maeil Innovation Center, Korea
The paper
- Title
- Benefits of Flavored Lactose-Free Milk for Korean Adults with Lactose Intolerance
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Oh CH, Kim JW, Park YM, et al (2022). Benefits of Flavored Lactose-Free Milk for Korean Adults with Lactose Intolerance. Journal of medicinal food. doi:10.1089/jmf.2022.K.0010PubMed 36179067DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error