Can you train yourself to not be lactose intolerant? A practical guide

November 30, 2025 •

4 min read

An estimated 65% of the global population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy, leading to lactose intolerance. But despite this high prevalence, many people wonder if they can 'train' their body to overcome the condition. Although you cannot force your body to produce more lactase, there are evidence-based strategies to manage symptoms and increase your tolerance to dairy.

Quick Summary

This article explores the mechanisms behind lactose intolerance and debunks the myth of 'curing' it. It details practical dietary modifications, highlights the role of probiotics and prebiotics, and explains how to test your personal tolerance threshold to safely reintroduce dairy products.

Key Points

Understanding the Cause: Lactose intolerance is not an allergy but a lifelong deficiency of the lactase enzyme, and it cannot be cured or 'trained' away in a literal sense.
Modify Your Gut Microbiome: You can influence your gut bacteria's ability to digest lactose, a process called colonic adaptation, by introducing small, regular amounts of dairy.
Use Gradual Exposure: Slowly reintroducing dairy and eating it with other foods can help increase your personal tolerance threshold over time.
Incorporate Low-Lactose Dairy: Fermented products like yogurt with live cultures and aged hard cheeses are naturally lower in lactose and often better tolerated.
Utilize Lactase Supplements: Over-the-counter lactase enzyme pills provide a temporary replacement for the digestive enzyme, aiding in lactose digestion.
Embrace Probiotics and Prebiotics: Adding probiotic-rich foods or supplements and prebiotic foods can support a healthier gut microbiome that is more efficient at fermenting lactose.

Understanding the Root Cause of Lactose Intolerance

Before attempting to manage lactose intolerance, it's essential to understand its cause. The condition isn't an allergy but a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is produced in the small intestine. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down lactose, the sugar found in milk, into simpler, absorbable sugars called glucose and galactose. In most adult humans worldwide, lactase production naturally decreases after weaning, a condition known as lactase non-persistence. When lactose-intolerant individuals consume dairy, the undigested lactose travels to the large intestine. There, gut bacteria ferment it, producing gases and drawing water into the colon, which leads to uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

Primary vs. Secondary Lactose Intolerance

Most cases that develop in adulthood are primary lactose intolerance, a genetic and typically lifelong condition. However, secondary lactose intolerance can occur temporarily due to an illness or injury that damages the small intestine, such as gastroenteritis or celiac disease. For these cases, lactase production can sometimes be restored over time as the gut heals. This guide focuses primarily on managing the more common, lifelong condition.

Training Your Gut Microbiome to Improve Tolerance

While you can't increase the body's genetic ability to produce lactase, you can modify the gut's environment. Research suggests that the friendly bacteria in your colon can adapt to better ferment lactose, a process known as colonic adaptation.

Start with small, consistent amounts of lactose. Begin with a small serving, like a quarter-cup of milk with a meal. Regular, low-level exposure can encourage the growth of specific lactose-metabolizing bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. These bacteria can break down lactose without causing excessive gas, reducing symptoms.
Pair dairy with other foods. Consuming dairy alongside a meal, especially with high-fiber foods, slows down the digestive process. This gives the limited lactase you have, and your adapting gut bacteria, more time to break down the lactose, reducing the likelihood of symptoms.
Incorporate prebiotic foods. Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that feed beneficial gut bacteria. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS), for example, have been shown to enhance the proliferation of beneficial lactose-fermenting bacteria in the gut, helping to mitigate symptoms. Prebiotic-rich foods include onions, garlic, bananas, and artichokes.
Use fermented dairy products. Yogurt with live and active cultures and aged, hard cheeses are often well-tolerated. The fermentation process significantly reduces the lactose content in these products, and the active bacteria in yogurt help predigest the lactose.

Practical Dietary Strategies for Managing Symptoms

For those with lactose intolerance, several strategies can help manage symptoms and reintroduce dairy safely.

Comparison of Dairy Products and Lactose Content


Dairy Product	Typical Lactose Content	Tolerance Level (for LI)	Why it's different
Milk	High (~12g per cup)	Low	Liquid form delivers a high dose of lactose quickly.
Aged Hard Cheese (Cheddar, Parmesan)	Very Low (<1g per serving)	High	Aging process and fermentation break down most lactose.
Yogurt (with live cultures)	Moderate (~4-8g per serving)	High	Active cultures in the yogurt help digest the lactose.
Ice Cream	High (Higher than milk)	Varies	High-fat content can sometimes slow digestion, but high lactose is still a risk.
Butter	Very Low	High	Mostly fat, contains only trace amounts of lactose.

Finding Your Personal Threshold

Everyone's tolerance level is different. A systematic reintroduction process can help you determine your personal threshold without discomfort. After a temporary, strict low-lactose diet (2–6 weeks), reintroduce lactose-containing foods gradually, starting with very small amounts and increasing the serving size over several days. Keep a food diary to monitor your symptoms and find your tolerable dose. Most lactose-intolerant people can tolerate at least 12 grams of lactose, the amount in one cup of milk, especially when consumed with other foods.

Lactase Enzyme Supplements

For convenience, over-the-counter lactase enzyme supplements are widely available. Taking a pill or drop containing the lactase enzyme before consuming dairy can significantly help break down lactose and prevent symptoms. These supplements don't cure the intolerance, but they act as a temporary replacement for the missing enzyme.

Conclusion: Managing, Not Curing, Lactose Intolerance

It is a misconception that you can train your body to produce more of the lactase enzyme if you have primary lactose intolerance. The genetic predisposition for lactase non-persistence is the reason for the condition, and it cannot be reversed. However, you can significantly improve your ability to digest lactose and minimize symptoms. By strategically adapting your gut microbiome through gradual dairy exposure, incorporating fermented products and prebiotics, and using lactase enzyme supplements, many people can successfully manage their lactose intolerance. The key lies in listening to your body, understanding its tolerance levels, and making informed dietary choices rather than seeking a cure for a natural biological state.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, drinking more milk will not help you overcome primary lactose intolerance and may only worsen symptoms like bloating and diarrhea. Your body's production of the lactase enzyme is genetically determined and does not increase with exposure to lactose. However, small, regular exposure can help your gut microbiome adapt to better manage lactose.

No, not all dairy products contain the same amount of lactose. Aged hard cheeses, like cheddar and parmesan, and fermented products, such as yogurt with live cultures, have much lower lactose content and are often well-tolerated.

Certain probiotic strains, like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, can help manage lactose intolerance symptoms. These beneficial bacteria produce their own lactase-like enzymes to break down lactose in the colon, which can reduce gas and bloating.

Lactose intolerance is a digestive issue caused by a lack of the lactase enzyme, resulting in uncomfortable but not life-threatening symptoms. A milk allergy is an immune system response to milk proteins, which can cause severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

Yes, it is very common to develop lactose intolerance in adulthood. For most people, the body's natural production of lactase decreases over time, especially after early childhood, leading to the gradual onset of symptoms.

Lactase supplements are pills or drops containing the lactase enzyme. They are taken just before consuming dairy to temporarily provide the enzyme your body lacks, helping to break down lactose in the food and prevent symptoms.

Yes, secondary lactose intolerance, caused by damage to the small intestine from an illness or injury, is often temporary. Once the underlying condition is treated and the gut heals, lactase production can be restored, and tolerance may improve over time.