Lactose Intolerance

In dairy products there is a sugar which is known as lactose, and lactose intolerance is the term used to describe the problematic metabolism of lactose.

Inside the small intestine there is a digestive enzyme called lactase which is responsible for the digestion of lactose. If the amount of lactase within the small intestine is insufficient, moreover insufficient to cope with the amount of lactose consumed, then a person may begin to experience symptoms of lactose intolerance. The term used for this shortfall of lactase enzymes is 'lactase deficiency'.

The vast majority of the world's population are lactose intolerant to some degree, their bodies having begun to greatly decrease lactase production from ages as early as two to five.

When our body's lack the ability to deal with the amounts of lactose consumed, our digestive systems can become overwhelmed, thus symptoms of lactose intolerance appear.

Such symptoms of lactose intolerance may include:

• Feelings of nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach cramps
• Wind

Each and every individual on the earth is different; therefore those who do suffer from lactose intolerance will suffer to varying degrees. For some, having a glass of milk a day may produce little or no symptoms of lactose intolerance, but the quantity of two glasses of milk may not be so easily metabolised therefore symptoms may arise. For others, having so much as a square of chocolate or a teaspoon of milk may spark off some degree of the aforementioned symptoms.

Lactose is found in all natural dairy products produced by humans or animals, and due to the wide application of dairy products in foods throughout the world, lactose can be very difficult to avoid. On this website we'll look at the causes of lactose intolerance along with information on how to prevent lactose intolerance.