Lactose intolerance is a situation wherein individuals don’t have sufficient lactase, a digestive enzyme that’s produced within the small gut and is liable for breaking down lactose, the pure sugar present in milk and different dairy merchandise. With out enough lactase, lactose can’t be correctly digested and may trigger a spread of disagreeable signs, together with stomach ache, bloating, fuel, and diarrhea.
Lactase is usually produced in excessive ranges throughout infancy, when breast milk is the first supply of vitamin. Nevertheless, as kids become older, lactase manufacturing naturally declines, resulting in lactose intolerance in lots of people. The prevalence of lactose intolerance varies considerably world wide, with greater charges in sure ethnic teams, akin to these of East Asian and African descent.
