| Summary: | Supplementation with the probiotic <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) could improve gut health and benefit lactose intolerant individuals. A narrative review was conducted to identify human clinical trials that evaluated lactose digestion and/or tolerance in response to consumption of <i>Bifidobacterium</i>, GOS, or both. A total of 152 studies on <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and GOS or both were published between 1983 and 2022. Out of the 152 studies, 20 were human clinical trials conducted in lactose intolerant subjects; 8 studies were conducted with <i>Bifidobacterium</i> supplementation and 3 studies involved GOS supplementation. Five studies reported favorable outcomes of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> supplementation in managing lactose intolerance (LI). Similarly, three studies reported favorable outcomes with GOS supplementation. The other three studies reported neutral outcomes. In conclusion, most studies reported a favorable effect of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and GOS on managing the symptoms of LI. No study has examined the effects of combined supplementation with <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and GOS in lactose intolerant subjects. Future research could examine if co-supplementation with <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and GOS is a more effective strategy to reduce the dairy discomfort in LI individuals.
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