[Poor digestion and intolerance to lactose in Mexican adults. Importance of evaluating them with regular doses of milk].

Lactose digestion capacity after ingestion of habitual doses of milk and its effect on milk intolerance and consumption were studied in 205 mexican adults. In a double-blind study, subjects received two treatments involving the intake of 360 mL of intact whole milk and the same amount of 90% lactose-hydrolyzed milk. Lactose maldigestion was determined by the hydrogen breath analysis test and was detected in 31.5% of the subjects. Symptoms of milk intolerance were present in only 9.5% of the study population. The prevalence lactose maldigestion and intolerance in mexican adults is lower than previous values reported using pharmacological doses of lactose. No effect of lactose intolerance on habitual consumption of milk was detected.