Relative efficiency of yogurt, sweet acidophilus milk, hydrolyzed-lactose milk, and a commercial lactase tablet in alleviating lactose maldigestion.

The relative effectiveness of commercially available plain yogurt (Y), sweet acidophilus milk (SAM), hydrolyzed-lactose milk (HLM), a lactase tablet (LT), and whole milk (WM) was evaluated in 10 lactose-intolerant black subjects. In a 5 x 5 Latin square design, hourly breath hydrogen excretion (BHE) was measured for 5 h after the subjects consumed the above products (18 g lactose in each except HLM, which had 5 g). Mean BHE (ppm) for Y, SAM, LT, HLM, and WM were 12, 37, 29, 18, and 33, respectively. There was a significant (p less than 0.05) positive correlation of 0.808 between the symptoms reported and the mean peak BHE. However, the correlation between the symptoms and diagnosis by history was not significant. Although Y was as effective as HLM in minimizing lactose maldigestion, it was the least accepted by the subjects in sensory evaluations. Results of this study also indicate that microbial endogenous lactase in yogurt is superior to exogenous commercial lactase in alleviating lactose maldigestion.