How many people suffer from lactose intolerance in the U.S.?
A. Lactose intolerance plagues many people. The best estimate that we have is roughly one in 10. I certainly see it a lot with the individual college students that I counsel. The National Institutes of Health recently came out with a consensus statement saying that it’s prevalent, but they can’t come up with a hard, fast number. So we know it affects many, many people, and I’m sure that you have a friend, or perhaps yourself, that suffers from lactose intolerance. Q. Is lactose intolerance something you’re born with, or can the onset come later in life? A. We do see that sometimes as people get older, they become more lactose intolerant because their intestinal tract is no longer able to adequately digest lactose. Maybe when they were a teen they suffered minor symptoms, and now, into adulthood and beyond, they’re really suffering when they have just a little bit. For these people I certainly say to go to lactose free dairy products. What I think a lot of people don’t know about lactos
