What is lactose intolerance and what are the symptoms?
Lactose is the main sugar in mammalian milk, for example cows, goats, and sheep. Lactose is broken down into glucose and galactose by the enzyme called lactase. In lactose intolerance, lactase is either absent (alactasia) or deficient (hypolactasia). This means lactose is not broken down and unabsorbed lactose passes into the colon where it is fermented. Lactose intolerance results in symptoms such as bloating, excess wind, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
