HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Byers, K. G. Articles by Savaiano, D. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Byers, K. G. Articles by Savaiano, D. A.

The Myth of Increased Lactose Intolerance in African-Americans

Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

Address reprint requests to: Dennis A. Savaiano, PhD, Purdue University, College of Consumer and Family Sciences, 701 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907. E-mail: savaiano{at}purdue.edu

In the United States, approximately three fourths of African-Americans have the potential for symptoms of lactose intolerance because lactose digestion depends on the presence of the enzyme lactase-phlorizin hydrolase which is reduced by up to 90–95% in individuals with lactase nonpersistence. The ‘African-American diet’ is more likely to be low in a variety of vitamins and minerals, including calcium. African-Americans consume low amounts of dairy foods and do not meet recommended intakes of a variety of vitamins and minerals, including calcium. Low intake of calcium and other nutrients put African-Americans at an increased risk for chronic diseases. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming three servings of dairy foods per day to ensure adequate calcium intake, among other nutrients, and the National Medical Association has recently published a similar recommendation of three to four servings of dairy per day for the African-American population. Research has shown that lactose maldigesters, including African-American maldigesters, can consume at least one cup (8 oz) of milk without experiencing symptoms, and that tolerance can be improved by consuming the milk with a meal, choosing yogurt or hard cheeses, or using products that aid in the digestion of lactose such as lactase supplements or lactose-reduced milks.

Key words: lactose intolerance, lactose maldigestion, African-Americans, calcium

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. M. Palacios, J. Nicholls, R. Green, and G. D. Miller Invited Editorial: The Importance of Dairy Foods in Helping Impoverished People in the United States J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2007; 90(11): 4917 - 4923. [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. N. Ames Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage PNAS, November 21, 2006; 103(47): 17589 - 17594. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]