Lactose Intolerance Essay

Lactose intolerance, also known as milk intolerance, is the inability to fully digest the sugar, lactose, in milk. There are more than three million cases in the U.S. per year. As a result, they have diarrhea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. A deficiency of lactase, an enzyme produced in your small intestine, is usually responsible for lactose intolerance. Many people claim to be lactose intolerant. That select amount of people, who have not been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, have low levels of lactase but are still able to digest milk products with low to no problems at all. Those people do not have a lactase deficiency. If a patient is actually lactose intolerant, their lactase deficiency leads to symptoms after you eat dairy foods (Lactose Intolerance). Lactose intolerance is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable. There are many signs and symptoms to lactose intolerance. Common signs and symptoms include

For lactose to be absorbed, it must first be split into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. The glucose and galactose are then absorbed by the cells lining the small intestine. Lactose intolerance is caused by reduced or absent activity of lactase that prevents the splitting of lactose (Marks).

The breakdown of milk into its component building blocks allows it to be readily absorbed into our blood streams so its calories from sugars, lactose, proteins, casein, fats, vitamins, and minerals can be used efficiently. Our bodies do not work as hard to digest milk if they were to digest other foods. If a person is not lactose intolerant, their body should handle the consumption of dairy just fine. However, if a person lacks the lactase enzyme, or has a small amount of it, it becomes harder to break down lactose into more easily absorbable sugars, glucose and galactose