A common intolerance, lactose is a principle carbohydrate found in milk and other dairy products. Deficient enzyme lactase in the lower intestine or other intestinal injury interferes with lactose absorption and produces unpleasant symptoms.
When a person with lactose intolerance consumes milk or other dairy products, some or all of the lactose they contain remains undigested, retains fluid and ferments in the colon, resulting in abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhea and gas.
Lactose intolerance in varying forms of severity may affect all segments of the population. It can occur up to 90 percent of some ethic groups, such as Greeks, Arabs, Jews, black Americans, Japanese, Thai, Formosans, and Filipinos.
Anthropological study has demonstrated that lactose intolerance is most common in regions of the world where adults do not drink milk.
What is meant by lactose intolerance?
