Lactose Intolerance

Those who are lactose intolerant are unable to adequately absorb lactose, the sugar found in milk. They are experiencing gas, bloating, and diarrhea as a result of eating dairy products. While the condition known as lactose malabsorption is usually not dangerous, some individuals may have painful symptoms. Usually, insufficient levels of the small intestine’s lactase enzyme result in lactose intolerance. Even if your levels of lactase are low, you can still digest milk products. If the levels are too low, though, you become intolerant to lactose and get symptoms when you eat dairy products. Lack of lactase, an enzyme in the small intestine required to digest lactose, results in lactose intolerance. The amount of lactase that is available to properly break down lactose may be diminished by certain digestive conditions (including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease), stomach or intestinal infections, and small intestine injuries (caused by surgery, trauma,...