Lactose Intolerance Testing
The Lactose Intolerance Testing is a clinical laboratory test that quantifies a specific biomarker in a patient sample. Background: Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest foods with lactose in them. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and foods made with milk. After eating foods with lactos
Content last reviewed 2026-09-12 · Educational information — not medical advice
What is the Lactose Intolerance Testing?
The Lactose Intolerance Testing is a clinical laboratory test that quantifies a specific biomarker in a patient sample.
Background: Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest foods with lactose in them. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and foods made with milk. After eating foods with lactose in them, you may feel sick to your stomach. You may also have: Gas Diarrhea Swelling in your stomach Your doctor may do a blood, breath or stool test to find out if your problems are due to lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is not serious. Eating less food with lactose, or using pills or drops to help you digest lactose usually helps. You may need to take a calcium supplement if you don't get enough of it from your diet, since milk and foods made with milk are the most common source of calcium for most people. NIH: Na…
How the Lactose Intolerance Testing works
Standard venous blood sampling analyzed with clinical-laboratory instrumentation appropriate to the measurand.
Typical turnaround: 1-3 business days
Typical partner pricing: $159
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Why healthcare providers order it
Ordered within broader clinical workups when a provider wants this specific measurand quantified.
Interpreting your results
Understanding your result
Compare your value against the reference interval printed on your report — laboratories publish their own instrument- and population-derived ranges. Values outside the range are flags for clinical interpretation, not verdicts; borderline results are frequently reconfirmed before acting.
Reference intervals vary by laboratory, instrument, age, sex, and — for hormones — collection time. Always compare your value against the range printed on your own report, and review results with a qualified healthcare professional who knows your history. This guide is educational and does not diagnose.
Understanding your lab report
- Find the reference interval printed beside your value on the report — that pairing defines 'normal' for this lab run.
- Preparation affected this sample: Follow the lab's instructions. — mention deviations from instructions when reviewing results.
- Note the units. mmol/L vs mg/dL, ng/mL vs µg/L — numbers mean nothing across unit systems.
- Look at flags (H/L) but read the degree: barely-outside values behave differently than multiples of the limit.
- Trends outrank snapshots. A series of results tells your provider far more than any single draw.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Lactose Intolerance Testing measure?
It quantifies a specific biomarker or characteristic of the submitted sample, compared against a laboratory-defined reference interval.
Do I need to prepare for the Lactose Intolerance Testing?
Follow the lab's instructions. When in doubt, ask the drawing laboratory — preparation errors are a leading avoidable cause of unusable results.
How soon do Lactose Intolerance Testing results come back?
This test's typical turnaround is 1-3 business days, counted from the laboratory's receipt of your sample. Complex or send-out assays can take longer.
Can an abnormal Lactose Intolerance Testing result mean something serious?
Abnormal results range from benign to urgent; degree, direction, and trend — reviewed by a clinician who knows your history — determine what happens next.
Sources & data provenance
- Test description adapted from our verified partner test catalog
- MedlinePlus — 'Lactose Intolerance' (https://medlineplus.gov/lactoseintolerance.html)
- Family-specific guidance compiled from standard clinical laboratory medicine references