General Lactase Information
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is the body’s inability to properly digest lactose. This inability is due to a lack of lactase enzyme in the body. This lactase deficiency can lead to symptoms that include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. The severity of these symptoms varies depending on the amount of lactose each individual can tolerate. Lactose intolerance can be attributed to digestive diseases and injuries to the digestive system. The main cause of lactose intolerance is due to lactase deficiency that develops as the person ages.Dairy products such as milk, ice cream and yogurt have high levels of lactose. These higher levels of lactose affect how much lactase your body requires for proper digestion. Curiously enough, yogurt does not trigger symptoms of lactose intolerance. This is primarily because bacterial cultures used to make yogurt produce some of the lactase, which breaks down the lactose for easy digestion.
What is lactose?
Lactose is a type of sugar found only in milk. It is a disaccharide composed of two simple sugars glucose and galactose, which are monosaccharides. Only monosaccharides can be absorbed by the intestine and passed on into the bloodstream. Malabsorption of lactose enzyme leads to symptoms of lactose intolerance.
What is Lactase?
Lactase is an enzyme found in the lining of the small intestine that acts as a catalyst in the breakup of lactose into glucose and galactose, which are easily digested by the body. A small number of children and many adults lack a sufficient amount of lactase that results in an impaired ability to break down the lactose. These people are lactose intolerant and often suffer from symptoms such as cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea.If you suffer from any of these symptoms after drinking milk, you should consult your doctor to determine if you are lactose intolerant. As an alternative, a plausible home diagnosis for lactose intolerance is to drink two glasses of milk on an empty stomach and note any gastrointestinal symptoms that develop over the next two hours. Repeat the test on another day using several ounces of cheese (which contains a lower dose of lactose). If symptoms result from milk but not cheese, then you probably suffer from lactose intolerance. If symptoms occur with both milk and cheese, you may be allergic to dairy products. Where is lactase found? Lactase is normally produced by the mucus cells that line the small intestine. The levels of lactase present in the small intestine decrease gradually over a period of time, which leads to lactose intolerance. Therefore it is advisable for people suffering from lactose intolerance to replenish their bodies' lactase content with lactase products such as Lacteeze drops and Lacteeze tablets.
Who is likely to be lactase deficient?
A majority of individuals of Asian, African, and Native American descent are lactose intolerant. The condition is least common among persons of northern European descent.