| Lactose intolerance | |||||
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- What is lactose intolerance?
- Important lactose intolerance facts
- Why lactose intolerance is important
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest most of the lactose in food taken in, due to a shortage of the enzyme lactase.
Lactose is a dissacharide sugar present in milk (also called "milk sugar"), which means it is made up of two monosaccharides (glucose and galactose).
The enzyme lactase is normally produced in the small intestine and functions to separate the two sugars from each other. Lactase breaks down the lactose, the main sugar in milk, into two smaller sugars glucose and galactose to be absorbed in the bloodstream.
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Important lactose intolerance facts
- Lactose intolerance is the most common disorder in the world
- Lactose intolerance has several grades of severity, from not producing many symptoms to being very severe and producing very discomfortable symptoms
- There are various tests that can be conducted to test for lactose intolerance (and the severity of the lactase enzyme deficit)
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Why lactose intolerance is important
Undigested lactose enters the colon (large intesting) where it gets digested by bacteria, producing lactic acid and other acids. This can cause some unpleasant symptoms in many people.
Lactose intolerance can cause the following gastric symptoms:
- Abdominal cramps and pain
- Bloating
- Diarrhoea
- Flatulence
- Gas
- Nausea
The severity of the symptoms depends on a few factors:
- The level of lack of lactase enzyme in the digestive tract
- The amount of lactose ingested
references
- Marieb EM, Hoehn K. Human Anatomy & Physiology. 7th edition, 2006. Benjamin Cummings Publishing
- Rolfes SR, Pinna K, Whitney E. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. 7th Edition, 2005. Brooks Cole Publishing
- Tortora GJ, Derrickson BH. Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. 11th edition, 2005. Wiley Publishing
To learn more, go to the the following web sites:
- The Gut Foundation (Australia)
- GastroNet Australia - Lactose Intolerance
- Breastfeeding Australia - Lactose Intolerance and Breastfeeding
- National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse (USA)
