Lactose intolerance occurs when you can't digest lactose, which is the sugar in milk and other dairy products. While lactose intolerance occasionally shows up in children, it's generally an adult-onset condition. Certain factors make you more likely to develop lactose intolerance; there are a few things you can do to alleviate symptoms.
Lactose Intolerance
Most children are lactose-tolerant, which enables them to digest lactose in breast milk. But lactose can't absorbed without the body first breaking it down into its constituent components. Chemically classified as a disaccharide, meaning two-sugar carbohydrate, lactose consists of glucose and galactose, which are smaller sugar units. Dr. Lauralee Sherwood, in her book "Human Physiology," explains that you break lactose into these smaller sugars during digestion.
Lactase
To break down lactose, your small intestine relies upon an enzyme called lactase. If you're unable to produce sufficient lactase -- a condition known as lactose intolerance -- you experience symptoms including gas, cramping and diarrhea upon consumption of dairy. This is because bacteria in the gut break down the lactase, and produce large amounts of intestinal gas in the process, explain Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book "Biochemistry."
Onset of Symptoms
Most lactose intolerance occurs in adults, explains MayoClinic.com. The reason adults tend to develop lactose intolerance is that the intestine stops producing as much lactase as you age; this process is natural and irreversible. Individuals of non-European descent are far more likely to develop lactose intolerance than Europeans.
Solutions
There's nothing you can do to force your body to start making lactose again if you've lost the ability. You can, however, still consume dairy, as long as you take precautions. Supplements of lactase, available over-the-counter in pill form, provide you with a temporary supply of the lactase enzyme and allow you to consume dairy for a short time. You're also likely to be able to eat yogurt, regardless of your lactose intolerance -- there's very little lactose in yogurt.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
- MayoClinic.com: Lactose Intolerance
