#Science ABC » Feed Science ABC » Comments Feed alternate alternate Science ABC ____________________ (BUTTON) (BUTTON) Menu * Nature + Universe + Animals * Humans + Movies + Sports * Tech * Pure Sciences * Eye Openers * Social Science * Videos * Nature + Universe + Animals * Humans + Movies + Sports * Tech * Pure Sciences * Eye Openers * Social Science * Videos Home Humans What Is Lactose Intolerance? What Is Lactose Intolerance? Ashish 14 Apr 2018 (Updated: 8 May 2019) Lactose intolerance is a condition in which a patient cannot easily break down or digest lactose. Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar in milk and milk products. The human body needs lactase, an enzyme found in the intestines – to break down this lactose into smaller sugars that can be digested by the body. Lactose intolerance is one of the many conditions that are discussed with unprecedented fervor these days. You may have a friend or relative suffering from this condition, or you might even have this affliction yourself. This comes as no surprise, since a great number of people – more than you think – suffer from lactose intolerance. In fact, many people don’t realize that they have this problem, until one day, when they eat a whole lot of ice cream and then all hell breaks loose. Ate a whole carton of ice cream lactose intolerant meme Lactose intolerance is extremely common. In India, for example, more than 10 million people are diagnosed as being lactose intolerant every year! It’s clear that lactose intolerant people are not supposed to eat dairy products (if they want to avoid nasty symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, gas etc.), but what if they actually consume something that contains milk? What happens when a lactose intolerant person eats/drinks something that contains milk or some other dairy product? What goes on inside their body during such a scenario? We’ll get to that later, but right now, we need to look at the ‘what’ aspect. What is lactose intolerance? Lactose intolerance is a condition in which a patient cannot easily break down or digest lactose. Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar in milk and milk products. The human body needs lactase, an enzyme found in the intestines – to break down this lactose into smaller sugars that can be digested by the body. structure of lactose The structure of lactose. Note that it’s made of glucose and galactose. So, if a lactose intolerant person consumes milk (or any such dairy product), the lactose present in the milk is not broken down into simpler sugars, which then causes some nasty symptoms. Causes of lactose intolerance Lactose intolerance can affect both children and adults. The primary reason behind this condition is that the small intestine of the patient doesn’t make enough of a specific enzyme called lactase. Possible causes of lactose intolerance may include injury to the small intestine, digestive diseases, infection, or a family history of lactose intolerance. Lactose digestion lactose intolerant An absence of the lactase enzyme in the digestive tract leads to some nasty symptoms. Also, premature babies run a reliably higher risk of being lactose intolerant. However, this sort of lactose intolerance is often a short-term problem, and eventually disappears as the child ages (Source). Lactose intolerance symptoms The most definitive symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, watery and odd-smelling stools (diarrhea), and even abdominal pain in some cases. How bad your symptoms are depends on how much dairy you have consumed and how much of a tolerance you have for lactose. If you get an upset stomach, nausea, flatulence or diarrhea about 30 minutes to 2 hours after you’ve consumed a dairy product, it’s highly likely that you are lactose intolerant, and it’s time to go see a doctor about it. Once it’s confirmed that you are lactose intolerant, does this mean that you can never touch dairy products again? What exactly happens in the digestive system of an afflicted person when they consume milk or other dairy products? Symptoms of lactose intolerance What happens when a lactose intolerant person consumes a dairy product? A large proportion of the population stops producing lactase (a pancreatic enzyme), which breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose after they are weaned. If a lactose intolerant person consumes a dairy product, it remains in the lumen (i.e., the inside space) of the bowel where it osmotically attracts water, which leads to diarrhea. Also, when the lactase enzyme is not present in the system, the undigested lactose (from the dairy product) is attacked by certain gut bacteria, which produces a bunch of nasty byproducts. Methane is one of these, and is responsible for the flatulence or gas that a lactose intolerant person experiences after consuming a dairy product. The whole mess of the material becomes too much to handle for the digestive system, and is therefore shoved along the digestive tract, which makes one want to poop just minutes after they’ve drunk a glass of milk! Have a slice of pizza they said your lactose intolerance isn't that bad they said meme Interestingly, however, lactose intolerance is so common and usually harmless that many people don’t consider it an affliction at all, but rather an unfortunate condition that you can avoid by simply eliminating dairy from your regular diet. References 1. The Medical University of South Carolina 2. University of Rochester 3. Pennsylvania State University 4. National Institutes of Health (NIH) 5. University of California The short URL of the present article is: http://sciabc.us/6BzCg Help us make this article better Click here to report error in this article * Facebook * * * Prev Article Next Article About the Author: Ashish is a Science graduate (Bachelor of Science) from Punjabi University (India). He spends a lot of time watching movies, and an awful lot more time discussing them. He likes Harry Potter and the Avengers, and obsesses over how thoroughly Science dictates every aspect of life… in this universe, at least. More from this author. Science ABC YouTube Videos 1. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] How Does A Helicopter Work: Everything You Need To Know About Helicopters 2. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Rigor Mortis, Livor Mortis, Pallor Mortis, Algor Mortis: Forensic Science Explains Stages of Death 3. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Why Is Space Cold If There Are So Many Stars? 4. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Tensor Tympani Sound: Why Do You Hear A Rumbling Sound When You Close Your Eyes Too Hard? 5. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Hawking Radiation Explained: What Exactly Was Stephen Hawking Famous For? 6. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Current Vs Voltage: How Much Current Can Kill You? 7. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Coefficient Of Restitution: Why Certain Objects Are More Bouncy Than Others? 8. [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%2 2%20width%3D%22480%22%20height%3D%22360%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] Jump From Space: What Happens If You Do A Space Jump? Related Posts middle-aged-man-concerned-by-hair-loss-grey-hair-irritated Why Do Hair Turn Grey? Ashish April 27, 2015 Hungry woman Is Fasting Good For Human Health? John Staughton January 4, 2016 Why Does the Human Body Release Carbon Dioxide? Ashish March 29, 2017 Why Are Habits So Hard To Break? Rujuta Pradhan January 27, 2016 How Can Our Heads Ache When Our Brain Has No Pain Receptors? Rujuta Pradhan January 25, 2016 Why Do Your Teeth Chatter When You’re Cold? John Staughton March 14, 2017 Why Do Some People Sweat More Than Others Why Do Some People Sweat More Than Others? Ashish July 3, 2016 Why We Fail To Help Victims When We’re In A Crowd? Rujuta Pradhan January 29, 2016 epidemic, endemic, pandemic What’s The Difference Between An Endemic, Epidemic And A Pandemic? Dr Maneka Vig January 19, 2019 Chess board Why Are Some People So Good At Chess? Akash Peshin August 22, 2017 How Can Children With The Same Parents Look So Different? Ashish October 29, 2015 How Does The Gas Pump Automatically Shut Off When The Tank Is Full? Ashish November 17, 2015 Tags: Health [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20 width%3D%2287%22%20height%3D%2218%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] report this ad Get more stuff like this in your inbox Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. ____________________ Sign Up Now we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously Popular Posts * Huntsman spider What Is The Huntsman Spider? How Big Is It? Does It Bite? * Bullet on trainTrain What Would Happen If You Shot A Bullet On A Train? * Circle Of Willis: Anatomy, Diagram And Functions * What Is Aphantasia? * Sand dollar in beach What Are Sand Dollars? * Coefficient Of Restitution: Definition, Explanation And Formula * Why Are There Stones Alongside Railway Tracks? * Sheephead Fish Archosargus probatocephalus Sheepshead Fish: Facts About The Fish With Human Teeth * airplane boeing Why Are Airplanes Usually White? * Golden spiral galaxy (Logarithmic spiral) What Is The Fibonacci Sequence? Why Is It So Special? Recent Posts * Why Is Static Friction Greater Than Kinetic Friction? * young attractive woman using her smartphone for send a message(katiaishere) Has The Internet Changed Languages Around The World? * Swimming couple of long-snouted seahorse in love(creativemarc)s Is There Any Species Where The Male Gives Birth Instead Of Female? * Tiger climbing on pole - Image( Duke.of.arcH)s How Do Nocturnal Animals Hunt Their Prey? * super computer and transistor How Did Computers Go From The Size Of A Room To The Size Of A … [svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20 width%3D%2287%22%20height%3D%2218%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E] report this ad ScienceABC participates in the Amazon Associates Program, affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. This means that whenever you buy a product on Amazon from a link on here, we get a small percentage of its price. That helps support ScienceABC with some money to maintain the site. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Science ABC Copyright © 2020. * About Us * Privacy Policy * Terms of Use * Contact Us