Many people suffer from Lactose intolerance and so can not digest milk.
What are the actual reasons behind it?
What are the alternative ways to bypass the problem?
The most common reason for lactose intolerance is the absence of enzyme-Lactase,that helps in digestion/ breakdown of milk sugar- Lactose.As a result we are not able to digest the milk causing acute digestive issues..The best option is to avoid milk and milk products for a while and continue after the symptoms resolve.
There are few milk alternative formulation- like soya milk which is lactose free milk and can be used for infant with primary lactose intolerance..
Most of us-(40% )suffer from this..so no worries.. Very common ailment..
The great oldest question in Bio Chemistry in our student life . Lactose / Lactogen
intolerance . A metabolic disorder for children with respect to Milk indigestion -
& Vomiting . Alternative food supplement like nutraceutical is a better way .
Lactose intolerance occurs when the small intestin does not make enough of an enzyme called lactase. Over-the-counter pills or drops that contain lactase can be taken before meals to help alleviate or eliminate symptoms.
Milk contains a sugar called Lactose, and an enzyme called lactase, produced in the small intestine is needed to break down that sugar so that it can be absorbed in our bodies. P people with lactose intolerance don’t have enough lactase. Lactose intolerance cannot be cured but it is managed by using alternatives to regular milk, including soya milk, almond milk, and lactose-free milk.
Lactose intolerance; also called milk intolerance; is a disorder of carbohydrate absorption. The deficiency in lactose-hydrolytic enzyme, lactase, occurs in the majority of human adults throughout the world and appears to be genetically determined. Lactase deficiency in which mucosal lactase levels are low or absent at birth is rare and is transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. In full-term human infants, lactase activity attains peak values at birth and remains high throughout infancy. As milk intake decreases, lactase levels drop and lactose intolerance may develop. The extent of the decrease of lactase activity distinguishes lactose-tolerant from intolerant populations.
Ingestion of milk (or lactose) by individuals who have lactose intolerance leads to a variety of symptoms including bloating, cramps, flatulence, and loose stools. The intestinal problems are due primarily to osmotic effects of lactose and its metabolites in the colon. The lactose not absorbed in the small intestine increases the osmolarity and causes water to be retained in the lumen. Severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of lactose consumed and the activity of the hydrolyzing enzyme.
To bypass the symptoms, some lactose-intolerant individuals can drink milk along with meals and show no reaction to milk added to cereal or coffee. Lactose-depleted milk or fermented milk products with negligible amounts of lactose are good substitutes for milk. Lactose-intolerant individuals can consume cultured milk products containing bifidobacteria and/or lactobacilli without any deleterious effects. Two mechanisms have been proposed for the improved digestibility of lactose in such products: (1) the β-galactosidase activity of the probiotic strains; and (2) stimulation of host mucosal β-galactosidase activity by the ingested strains.
Drinking milk is an adaptation achieved by early nomadic groups. Many modern europeans come from Central Asian cattle raising nomads and so they tend to be lactose tolerant. Groups that do not have that kind of ancestry are not. Areas of Africa, particularly East Africa, are tolerant but their neighbours may not be. Consider alcohol. Again this is a cultural and ancestral preference and those without adaptation are intolerant or get drunk very easily.
It is due to the deficiency or low level of the enzyme lactase that is present in brush border of the small intestine. This enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of the milk sugar which is lactose into two smaller sugars, glucose and galactose, and allows lactose to be absorbed from the intestine. Since lactose is the main carbohydrates of the milk and diary product it is advisable to avoid them.
For babies with this defect they can be given glucose water as a substitute for lactose as source of energy, in addition to the lactose free milk that are also available
You can take lactase tablets before you eat or drink milk products. You can also add lactase drops to milk before you drink it. The lactase breaks down the lactose in foods and drinks, lowering your chances of having lactose intolerance symptoms
https://www.niddk.nih.gov
Lactose intolerance comes from people not being meant to drink milk after we ween off of our mothers. We have gotten so used to drinking cow's milk now that it is seen as weird when someone can not. However, most people are intolerant and the symptoms are simply too mild and are dismissed or are deemed normal because we have felt it all our lives.
Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency of the intestinal enzyme lactase that splits lactose into two smaller sugars, glucose and galactose, and allows lactose to be absorbed from the intestine. Virtually all individuals are born with lactase and the ability to digest lactose. The disappearance of lactase is either genetically programmed to occur after childhood or is due to diseases of the lining of the intestine that destroys lactase.
Lactose intolerance characterized by intolerance to milk and milk products is due to lactase deficiency, which may be primary and secondary. People with primary lactase deficiency cannot modify their body's ability to produce lactase. But, people with secondary lactase deficiency, treatment of the underlying disease may allow lactase activity to return to normal levels.
Lactose intolerants may use milk substitutes eg. plant-based milk (Soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk and so on). Low-lactose and lactose-free versions of foods are often available to replace dairy-based foods for those with lactose intolerance. The following link might be helpful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance
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