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• Lactose intolerance

• LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
• SYMPTOMS
• TREATMENT
• LACTASE

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

Lactose intolerance occurs due to a lactase deficiency, an enzyme capable of separating out lactose into glucose and galactose.  When it is not digested, cannot be absorbed, it remains in the intestine, introducing water at this level.  The bacterial flora ferments the undigested lactose, generating lactic acid, CO2 and H2.

It is a disorder that affects 70% of the world adult population, very common in black, Asian and South American populations (in Spain, this represents approximately 15%).

There are two types of lactose intolerance:

       -         Occasionally people are born with difficulty in digesting lactose.          It can be range from slight to complete, in this latter case there is an intolerance of all types of dairy.  This type is called Primary or Genetic.

       -          People can also be born tolerating dairy perfectly well and then lose this capacity for various reasons.  Normally, lactase activity diminishes from birth to weaning, and gradually from weaning to adulthood (this phenomenon is called hypolactasia).

Lactase deficiency can also present as a result of intestinal diseases such as celiac disease or after gastroduodenal surgery.  The most frequent cause of temporary intolerance would be gastroenteritis.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

They are very varied.  They tend to start two hours after digestion.  From heavy digestions (flatulence, sensation of swollen  stomach, etc) in slight cases, to acid diarrhoea, floating faeces, explosive defecation, nauseas and vomiting in cases of total lactose intolerance.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT?

In slight cases (the most frequent as adults) a reduction in consumption can be sufficient, limiting ourselves to those that go down well or consuming products that are low in lactose (milk low in lactose, yoghurt, cured cheese, etc).

In the more serious cases of intolerance, the total suppression of dairy and its derivates is recommended.  A peculiarity is that in adults the symptoms tend to be doses-dependent (greater symptoms with greater consumption) and reversible (it suffices to stop consumption in order to return to normality).

WHAT IS LACTASE?

Lactase is an enzyme present in the intestine whose function is to decompose lactose into its two fundamental components: glucose and galactose.