Dairy’s opponents have a new bad-faith argument — that because of lactose intolerance, dairy is inappropriate for diverse communities. It’s a bogus case, but it seems to be seeping into public policy discussion. Before regretful decisions start to be made to the detriment of public health, let’s make it clear: Dairy is a socially inclusive, equitable solution that can benefit all communities.
By the standards of contemporary misinformation, it’s easy to see how lactose-intolerance arguments have gained traction. They include a fact — that some populations have difficulty digesting lactose, a natural sugar found most commonly in milk — and turn it into a myth: that because of this intolerance, dairy should be de-emphasized as a source of nutrition.
But what suits the need of an activist group that may or may not be focused on nutrition doesn’t suit the public interest. A closer look at what dairy provides, and how it can be provided in a way that respects people’s lived dietary experiences and nutritional needs, shows just how misguided, and potentially damaging, an anti-dairy message cloaked in equity rhetoric can be.
A few points to ponder:
- Dairy is an important source of 13 essential nutrients, including three of the four identified as of public health concern among Americans in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Overall, 89 percent of Americans under-consume dairy, according to that guidelines committee’s report.
- Dairy beverage substitutes, such as plant-based beverages, are not nutritionally equivalent to dairy and are in fact inferior in significant ways. Even fortified soy drinks, currently recommended as a substitute for dairy under the U.S. dietary guidelines, are chemically dissimilar and may interact with human bodies differently.
- At the same time, a lactose-free substitute for traditional milk is available that offers true nutritional equivalence. That substitute is called… lactose-free milk, and it solves tolerance issues for most people. It’s hard to imagine a more equitable nutritional solution than giving everyone the same beverage, tailored to their needs — unless, of course, you’re either misinformed or not truly concerned about equity.
- Beyond milk, lactose is far from predominant in dairy products, giving lactose-intolerant consumers even more options. Butter, for example, has only trace amounts of lactose. Yogurt has much less lactose than milk, and many varieties of cheese, including Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, mozzarella and Swiss, are also low-lactose. Kefir, a thicker, creamier beverage, is lower-lactose than milk, and includes probiotics that help with lactose digestion. These options provide abundant nutrition within healthy dietary patterns, even for many who experience varying levels of lactose intolerance. Here is a helpful guide to lactose in dairy and how to consume dairy with confidence.
- Awareness of lactose-free options is low in diverse populations, which shows a need for education, not deprivation. According to research done last year by the International Food and Information Council, more than half of members of U.S. racial and ethnic minority groups have never tried lactose-free milk, despite having higher reported percentages of lactose intolerance than White Americans.
- With increasing sales and newer production practices, the traditional price premium between traditional and lactose-free milk is showing signs of fading, with store brands now offering lactose-free milk.
Nutrition science is challenging, and nutrition policy even more so, as different interest groups try to mold eating habits in ways that sometimes are meant to achieve goals other than effective nutrition. In the end, federal food policy is meant to help people nourish themselves — and for the highest quality nourishment, dairy still provides an unparalleled package, for everyone.
It’s a fact: A healthy, rich-in-dairy diet can be low in lactose or lactose-free. Be wary of arguments that are truth-free instead.
