Like milk and yogurt products, the preparation and manufacturing processes used on cheese can drastically affect the ability of lactose intolerant people to consume these products. The variation among yogurts alone shows the difficulty for the food industry in preparing and manufacturing foods for lactose intolerant people as well as for the individual in choosing appropriate foods. Lactose intolerant people have options available besides the reduction of or complete abstinence from products containing lactose. Specially prepared products are becoming available with reduced lactose levels. Sometimes drugs to fight the symptoms of LI directly, such anti- diarrhea medications are effective.
Nutritionists recommend that a significant portion of our diet come from the dairy group.
Dairy products are one of the four major food groups that we should eat from regularly for good health. If people with LI must avoid or reduce their intake from this important food group, serious malnutrition can result if their diet is not carefully supplemented to make up for the lost dairy products. It seems that lactose intolerant women not only cannot digest lactose, but also cannot effectively absorb the important calcium content of milk products. People in the U.S. who are lactose intolerant have many diet options to supplement the loss of milk's nutrition. They can purchase specially prepared milk products that have little or no lactose content, they can choose foods from the other three food groups to balance their diet, or they can purchase lactase supplements.