Are Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis Patients Lactose Intolerant?
to avoid dairy products like milk, ice cream, cheese, and other sources of lactose? Lactose intolerance is common in people with Crohn’s and colitis. Crohn’s patients may be slightly more sensitive because digestive enzymes for lactose (lactase) are housed in the small intestine. The small intestine is the first area of the digestive tract affected by Crohn’s disease and therefore, it is not uncommon for lactase, the digestive enzyme for lactose, to become deficient, leading to lactose intolerance. It is difficult to identify lactose intolerance, because many of the symptoms are similar to other symptoms of Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Sensitivity to lactose may cause or worsen diarrhea, bloating, gas, and cramps. Lactose intolerance is manifested by the body’s inability to metabolize simple sugars in lactose (glucose and galactose) in the small intestine. These sugars continue through the digestive tract to the large intestine. There, they are metabolized by bacteria which release
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