Where is lactose digested in the body

Preparing for the holidays? Lactose intolerance is a common cause of abdominal cramping, bloating and loose stools. This condition occurs when the body does not have enough of the intestinal enzyme lactase.

The job of lactase is to break down lactose, the main sugar in milk. Once lactose is broken down into simpler forms of sugar, these simple sugars can be absorbed into the bloodstream. In normal digestion, lactose is digested in the small intestine without the release of gas bubbles.

When lactose can't be digested well, it passes into the colon. Bacteria in the colon break down some of the lactose, producing hydrogen gas. The remaining lactose also draws water into the colon. The extra gas and water result in symptoms, such as cramping, diarrhea, bloating and flatulence gas. You will be asked not to eat or drink anything for about 8 hours before the test.

This often means not eating after midnight. For the test, you will drink a liquid that contains lactose. Some blood samples will be taken over a 2-hour period. These will check your blood sugar blood glucose level. Hydrogen breath test. You will drink a liquid containing a lot of lactose. Your breath will be checked several times. High levels of hydrogen in your breath may mean you are lactose intolerant.

Stool acidity test. This test is used for infants and young children. It checks how much acid is in the stool.

If someone is not digesting lactose, their stool will have lactic acid, glucose, and other fatty acids. Foods to Avoid if You Have IBS While lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome IBS are two different conditions, both can cause similar symptoms for people who drink milk or eat milk products.

Read More. How is lactose intolerance treated? Here are some tips for managing lactose in your diet: Start slowly. Try adding small amounts of milk or milk products and see how your body reacts. Have milk and milk products with other foods.

You may find you have fewer symptoms if you take milk or milk products with your meals. Try eating cheese with crackers or having milk with cereal. Your breath will be checked several times. High levels of hydrogen in your breath may mean you are lactose intolerant. Stool acidity test.

This test is used for infants and young children. It checks how much acid is in the stool. If someone is not digesting lactose, their stool will have lactic acid, glucose, and other fatty acids. There is no treatment that can help your body make more lactase.

But you can manage your symptoms by changing your diet. In the past, people who were lactose intolerant were told to stop taking dairy products. Today, health experts suggest you try different dairy foods and see which ones cause fewer symptoms. That way you can still get enough calcium and other important nutrients such as vitamin D.

Start slowly. Try adding small amounts of milk or milk products and see how your body reacts. Have milk and milk products with other foods. You may find you have fewer symptoms if you take milk or milk products with your meals.

Try eating cheese with crackers or having milk with cereal. Eat dairy products with naturally lower levels of lactose.

These include hard cheeses and yogurt. Look for lactose-free and lactose-reduced milk and milk products. These can be found at many food stores. They are the same as regular milk and milk products. But they have the lactase enzyme added to them. Ask about lactase products. Ask your healthcare provider if you should take a lactase pill or lactase drops when you eat or drink milk products.

In contrast to intolerance of lactose, which is a carbohydrate, some people are allergic to proteins in cow milk. Cow milk allergies are oftentimes temporary and largely limited to children. However, there has been some research suggesting one form of the beta casein found in milk A1 may trigger negative reactions in some people, and this may sometimes be confused with lactose intolerance Pal et al.

More research is necessary to reach any major conclusions, but this has been a growing area of interest. Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS affects a significant percentage of the world population and often causes similar symptoms to lactose intolerance. However, the two health issues are distinctly different, and lactose intolerance does not lead to IBS Lomer et al.

For diagnosing lactose intolerance or one of these other health issues, it is important to work with a professional health care provider. There are multiple ways to diagnose an individual's condition and determine the best approach to managing diet and lifestyle. In summary, many people are hesitant to consume dairy products because of an expectation the result will be uncomfortable. This may or may not always be true. If true, lactose may or may not be the appropriate target for blame.

Lactose intolerance due to genetics is certainly a real problem for a lot of people, but at least some of those individuals can still consume dairy products by choosing specific products their body can handle.

There are many options available. Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Extension is implied.

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