Lactose intolerance

doi:10.1136/bmj.39252.524375.80

BMJ 2007;334:1331-1332 (30 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39252.524375.80

Editorials

Lactose intolerance

Is common and can be diagnosed clinically and treated with simpledietary measures

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Lactose intolerance occurs in about 25% of people in Europe;50-80% of people of Hispanic origin, people from south India,black people, and Ashkenazi Jews; and almost 100% of peoplein Asia and American Indians.¹ Lactose is a disaccharide sugarthat is found exclusively in mammalian milk and is digestedby the enzyme lactase in the mucosal brush border of the intestine.Reduced intestinal lactase results in malabsorption of lactose.The unabsorbed lactose is metabolised by colonic bacteria toproduce gas and short chain fatty acids, causing the clinicalsyndrome of abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhoea, and flatulence.Lactose malabsorption does not always cause lactose intolerance;symptoms depend on the amount and rate of lactose reaching thecolon, and the amount and type of colonic flora.

Lactase deficiency may be classified as primary, secondary,congenital, and developmental. The classification is importantas it relates to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In all. . . [Full text of this article]

Shinjini Bhatnagar, pediatric gastroenterologist and senior research scientist¹, Rakesh Aggarwal, professor²

¹ Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases and Nutrition Research, Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India, ² Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

shinjini.bhatnagar@gmail.com

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

StumbleUpon Add to Technorati

Technorati What's this?

Relevant Article

The side effects of "P4P": Douglas Kamerow
BMJ 2007 334: 0. [Extract] [Full Text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Lactose intolerance - dont forget the wheat!: simon m greenfield
bmj.com, 1 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Lactose intolerance: JGB Russell, et al.
bmj.com, 3 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Lactose malabsorption is rarely a clinical problem: David A Gorard
bmj.com, 5 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Re: Lactose intolerance: Theo HM Fenton
bmj.com, 6 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Cheese Doesn't Contain Lactose: Laurie R Davis
bmj.com, 6 Jul 2007 [Full text]
The treatment for lactose intolerance is staightforward - avoid lactose: Philip Bickley
bmj.com, 8 Jul 2007 [Full text]
BMJ reviewers and editors cought sleeping yet again: Nikolai Manassiev
bmj.com, 14 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Lactose intolerance: Is there a role for probiotics?: Julian D Cespedes
bmj.com, 16 Jul 2007 [Full text]
Hispanic origin?: Philip Gampfer
bmj.com, 1 May 2008 [Full text]
Some Say That No Adult Animals Other Than Humans Drink Milk: Dr.Herbert H. Nehrlich
bmj.com, 2 May 2008 [Full text]
Epidemiology of lactose intolerance: Dr. Renata Adamek
bmj.com, 30 Mar 2009 [Full text]