Lactose intolerance is a condition caused by a lack of an enzyme called lactase, which, in turn, causes the body to be unable to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products.
Lactase is normally produced by cells lining the small intestine where it breaks down lactose into a form that can be absorbed by the blood. A lack of lactase can cause uncomfortable symptoms for some people. Those who exhibit symptoms are said to be lactose intolerant.
Thirty to 50 million Americans (adults and children) are lactose intolerant. The disorder affects some populations more than others:
Seventy-five percent of all African-American, Jewish, Mexican-American, and Native American adults are lactose intolerant.
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As you get older, your lactose levels can start to decline, which means there’s nothing stopping the lactose you consume from going to your colon undigested, where bacteria break the sugars down and create excess gas and fluid in the process. It is common to develop a lactase deficiency in adulthood. In fact, about 65 percent of the global population has a reduced ability to digest lactose, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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Your genetic makeup has a lot to do with whether you'll experience lactose intolerance. The body creates lactase when it’s instructed to do so by the LCT gene, and over time that gene can become less active. The result is......lactose intolerance, which can begin after age 2 but may not manifest itself until adolescence or even adulthood.
Some ethnic groups are more prone to developing lactose intolerance than others. According to the NIH, people of East Asian, West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent are the most commonly affected by lactose intolerance in adulthood.
An injury to your small intestine — whether from an accident, surgery, radiation, infection, or disease — can also leave you unable to drink milk without symptoms, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Drinking poorly treated or untreated water can also cause injury to your bowel that could in turn result in lactose intolerance, Grand adds.
When It's Not Lactose Intolerance
But don’t give milk the cold shoulder just yet — digestive discomfort can be caused by other conditions, especially as you get older.
Some adults think they have lactose intolerance when they really have a different gastrointestinal issue, such as celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Grand says. The symptoms of lactose intolerance and these diseases — such as abdominal pain, gas, and diarrhea — can be similar; however, one difference between IBD and lactose intolerance is the presence of blood in your stool. You won’t see blood if you are lactose intolerant, but it’s possible to see blood in your stool if you have IBD.
Normal aging may make you more sensitive to digestive disturbances, such as feeling bloated after meals, Grand says. Other foods you eat may be causing your food to move more quickly through your digestive system, which could be the reason for what seem like lactose intolerance symptoms.
