Lactose intolerance is a reduced ability to digest lactose, the main sugar found in milk. Most children and babies produce lactase enzyme, which splits the disaccharide lactose into its digestible component sugars (glucose and galactose), in their small intestine. However, in most of the global population, the production of lactase declines steeply in childhood, and around 70% of the world's adult population is lactose intolerant to some degree, due to reduced or no production of the lactase enzyme in adulthood.[1][2]
References
- ^Ugidos-Rodríguez S, Matallana-González MC, Sánchez-Mata MCLactose malabsorption and intolerance: a review.Food Funct.(2018-Aug-15)
- ^Di Costanzo M, Berni Canani RLactose Intolerance: Common Misunderstandings.Ann Nutr Metab.(2018)