Lactose Intolerance Research Paper

The lactose is milk sugar, a disaccharide consisting of one glucose and one galactose. When lactose reaches the small intestine, the lactase enzyme acts on the lactose found in ingested food, dividing it into the two molecules that compose it, so they can be absorbed, digested and transported through the bloodstream.

When the person has a lactase deficiency (lactase enzyme has a low concentration or does not occur), the dietary lactose cannot be digested in the small intestine directly passing into the large intestine where it is fermented by the bacterial flora, causing nausea, diarrhea , cramps, gas and bloating. This situation is known as lactose intolerance, hereditary lactase deficiency, congenital lactase deficiency or hypolactasia.
There are certain more likely to develop this condition, as the Asian races, where about 90% of the population has these intestinal disorder ethnic groups. It is also common in African, Hispanic and from southern India groups. In Spain, the disorder affects approximately 19-28% of the population.

Causes of lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance can be hereditary (primary) or acquired (secondary). In primary source intolerance lactase deficiency is inherited in a recessive occurs (the presence of two copies of an abnormal gene for the disorder is needed). In humans, ingestion of milk is vital during childhood, and therefore at this stage of life lactase usually have high levels, which decrease progressively with age. Therefore, primary lactose intolerance is often manifested from adolescence, but can begin before age seven.

The congenital lactase deficiency (present at birth) is common in premature babies, as full-term infants often do not show signs of lactose intolerance until about three years old; symptoms occur when starting the intake of milk and include diarrhea watery, abdominal pain and irritability, and resolved to eliminate lactose from the