There are some of us that don't have the pleasure of being able to consume milk products like we wish because when we do, it is accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal pains and bloating.

Sorry my dear friend, you're lactose intolerant. Let's talk about lactose intolerance today.

Lactose intolerance is a common disorder and is due to the inability to digest lactose into its constituents, glucose and galactose, secondary to low levels of lactase enzyme in the digestive tract.

So when you consume milk, it contains lactose. This lactose must be broken down.

Lactose in it's original form is a disaccharide, but for it to be absorbed by your small intestine, an enzyme called Lactase is required to break it down (hydrolysis) into a monosaccharide. In those with Lactose Intolerance, Lactase is absent. So Lactose remains a disaccharide.

The osmotic load or weight of this undigested lactose disaccharide causes secretion of lots of fluid and electrolytes into your digestive system, and that's where wahala starts. This leads to enlargement (dilation) of the small intestine that induces quick movement of the...

undigested lactose into the large intestine. Now when this lactose gets to the large intestine, it becomes fermented by bactaeria and this yields short chain fatty acids and gas. The combined effects of increased water in the feces, movement of the poorly digested lactose, gas...