A HAMPSHIRE GP is leading the charge to encourage more families to drink milk – and dispelling a myth around lactose intolerance.

According to a new survey, a third of Southampton residents say stomach problems are their biggest everyday health concerns.

And one in five locals believe intolerance to cows’ milk is the reason, despite almost half relying on self diagnosis rather than taking the issue to a doctor.

But Hampshire doctor Hilary Jones said people who struggle to digest dairy products are rarely lactose intolerant but are actually affected by a mutated protein called A1.

And Dr Jones is calling for affected people to switch to milk that contains only A2 protein which causes much less problems according to a clinical study.

Dr Jones said: “For some people drinking dairy milk can cause abdominal cramps, bloating, flatulence, constipation and diarrhoea. A lot of people over the years have incorrectly diagnosed themselves as lactose intolerant and taken it out of their homes, meaning their families lose access to it.

“In reality only around five per cent of people are lactose intolerant but a more common reason is in fact the A1 protein in the milk.

“It means a lot of people who thought they were intolerant to dairy can go back to drinking cows’ milk if it is A2. And milk is the closest thing you can get to nutrition in a cup, particularly for children as it helps grow bones and strengthen teeth .”

The mutation has developed among European cows over thousands of years meaning A1 cows are prominent in England, although some A2 farms are being run in the north.

Dr Jones also called for more dairy farms in the south to produce A2 milk to ensure more people in Hampshire have access to the health benefits.

He added: “If parents gave children a glass of milk each day it would do wonders for health here in Southampton.”

The survey was carried out by the A2 Milk Company, which is now offering the product in shops across the county.