Q. Explain about Lactose Intolerance?

We commonly hear from people of all age groups, particularly children and elderly to be complaining of abdominal discomfort after consuming milk. Some individuals are able to tolerate a small quantity while others are unable to tolerate even a small amount. Well, this could be due to lactose intolerance. But what is lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance relates to insufficiency of the disaccharidase enzyme 'lactase which is found in the greatest quantity in- the outer membrane of the mucosal cell of the jejunum. The degree of lactase deficiency may vary in individuals. Lack of lactase does not break down the disaccharide sugar - lactose present in milk, to gIucosc and galactose, it passes unchanged into the large intestines where it gets converted to lactic acid by the bacteria, which subsequently cause diarrhoea and other symptoms of discomfort, distension and abdominal pain.