Hi! LACTOSA

What is Lactose intolerance?

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If a person suffers from lactose intolerance, they experience digestive symptoms such as bloating or abdominal distension, diarrhea, and gas after consuming foods or drinks that contain lactose. Lactose is a sugar that occurs naturally in milk and dairy products.

Lactose intolerance is caused by lactose malabsorption, a condition in which the small intestine cannot digest or break down all the lactose that a person eats or drinks. Not everyone with lactose malabsorption experiences symptoms after consuming lactose. Only people who experience symptoms have lactose intolerance.

Most people with lactose intolerance can consume a certain amount of lactose without experiencing symptoms. Different individuals can tolerate different amounts of lactose before developing symptoms.

Lactose intolerance is different from milk allergy. A milk allergy is an immune system disorder.

¿Qué tan comunes son la malabsorción de lactosa y la intolerancia a la lactosa?

Although most infants can digest lactose, many people begin to develop lactose malabsorption, which is a reduced ability to digest lactose, after infancy. Experts estimate that approximately 68 percent of the world’s population has lactose bad absorption.

Lactose malabsorption is more common in some parts of the world than in others.

Geographic Distribution:

  • Africa and Asia: The majority of people have lactose malabsorption.

  • Northern Europe: In some regions, such as Northern Europe, many people carry a gene that allows them to digest lactose after infancy, and lactose malabsorption is less common.

  • The United States: Approximately 36 percent of people in the United States have lactose malabsorption.

Although lactose malabsorption causes lactose intolerance, not everyone with lactose malabsorption has lactose intolerance.”

Which groups are most likely to develop lactose intolerance?

In the United States, some racial and ethnic groups are more likely to develop lactose intolerance than others, including:

  • African Americans

  • Native Americans

  • Asian Americans

  • Hispanics/Latinos

Conversely, lactose intolerance is less common in people who are from Europe or whose families originated in that region.

What are the potential complications of lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance can affect health if it prevents a person from getting enough nutrients, such as calcium and Vitamin D. Milk and dairy products, which contain lactose, are some of the main sources of calcium, Vitamin D, and other nutrients.

A person needs calcium throughout their life to grow and maintain healthy bones. If they do not get enough calcium, bones can become less dense and more prone to fracture. This condition is called osteoporosis.

If a person has lactose intolerance, they can change their diet to ensure they get enough calcium and manage their symptoms.

Fuente:

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/informacion-de-la-salud/enfermedades-digestivas/intolerancia-lactosa/definicion-informacion

[1] Storhaug CL, Fosse SK, Fadnes LT. Country, regional, and global estimates for lactose malabsorption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2017;2(10):738–746.

[2] Misselwitz B, Fox M. What is normal and abnormal in lactose digestion? The Lancet. Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2017;2(10):696–697.