Lactose, an important nutrient: Advocating a revised policy approach for dairy and its intrinsic sugar

Publication description

Milk and milk products play an important role in the diet, and their consumption is
recommended in food-based dietary guidelines around the world (1). A growing body of scientific evidence has linked dairy consumption as a component of an overall healthy eating pattern to several health benefits including healthy weight management,
improved dental health and reduced risk of developing several non-communicable
diseases (NCDs) (2) (3). Milk, cheese, and yoghurt are composed of complex structures and are an important source of several key nutrients, such as high-quality protein,
calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine (4). As part of their nutrient-dense package, dairy foods also contain intrinsic lactose, a sugar naturally present in milk.