Lactose Intolerance
Many individual demonstrate a permanent loss of the enzyme used to digest the principal milk sugar lactose; they are lactose intolerant.
Lactose intolerance may be due to the absence of or insufficient amount of lactase, a birth deficit, or physical impairment.
Caucasian are among the few population groups who can digest lactose.
If lactase remains undigested by lactase in the intestine, it is fermented by microflora to short-chain fatty acids and gasses such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and in some individuals to methane.
Symptoms of lactose intolerance include flatulence, abdominal pain and diarrhea due to the high solute concentration of undigested lactose.
A correct understanding of tolerable dose is needed by the lactose intolerant individual and the food industry that develops lactose free food.
Lactose assists in the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and other mineral from small intestine brush border.
Non-dairy “milk” such as soy or imitation milk contains no lactose; therefore, it may be consumed by individuals who milk allergies and by those who would otherwise not drink milk.
The loss of lactase activity in the intestine affects, to some extent, approximately 75% of the world’s population.
Individuals with lactase intolerance may compensate by consuming lactase treated milk (which reduces lactose by 70%) or purchase the lactase enzyme and administer it directly to milk prior to consumption.
It has been shown that small serving (120 ml = 6 g of lactose) of milk and hard cheeses (less than 2 g of lactose) may be consumed without an increase in intolerance symptoms.
Up to 12 g of lactose are tolerated, especially if the individual consumes other foods with the source of lactose.
Some fermented products, such as cheese, are tolerated if lactose has sufficiently been converted to lactic acid. Aged cheese is an example of such food.
Lactose Intolerance
