Lactose intolerance is a term used to describe the body’s inability to digest lactose, which is the predominant sugar found in milk. This is a common problem, with estimated fifty million Americans suffering from it. It is also estimated that 75 percent of Native Americans, Afro-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Jewish have lactose intolerance, while in Asian-Americans the percentage is even higher.

Lactose intolerance is caused by the lack of an enzyme called lactase, produced by the lining of the small intestine. The purpose of lactase is to break down lactose from milk and dairy into simple sugars that can be easily digested. When there is not enough lactase to break down milk sugar, it causes a situation that is not dangerous but it can be very distressing.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance, which set in after consumption of foods containing lactose, include nausea, bloating, belching, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of lactose that a person can tolerate, based on the amount of the lactase enzyme in their system.

Since lactose intolerance has become very common, the food industry has started producing foods that are lactose-free, even though they normally should contain this sugar, such as lactose-free milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, ice cream, milk shakes and such.