Lactose intolerance is a reaction in your digestive system to lactose, the sugar in milk. It results in uncomfortable symptoms after you eat dairy products. It is quite common among people to experience difficulty in digesting lactose, but not everyone experiences noticeable symptoms from it. People who do are lactose intolerant.
What Is Lactose Malabsorption?
Lactose malabsorption is the inability to break down and absorb lactose molecules in your digestive system. It is quite common, in fact, about 65% of adults worldwide cannot break down and absorb lactose. Unabsorbed lactose passes undigested through your gastrointestinal tract, [1] causing symptoms in some people.