What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is a condition in which you have digestive symptoms  such as bloating, diarrhea and gas  after consuming foods or drinks that contain lactose. Lactose is a sugar that is naturally found in milk and milk products, like cheese or ice cream. Normally when a person eats something containing lactose, an enzyme in the small intestine called lactase breaks it down into simpler sugar forms called glucose and galactose. These simple sugars are then easily absorbed into the bloodstream and turned into energy  fuel for our bodies. People with lactose intolerance do not produce enough of the lactase enzyme to break down lactose. Instead, undigested lactose sits in the gut and gets broken down by bacteria, causing gas, bloating, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Lactose intolerance is different from a milk allergy. A milk allergy is an immune system disorder. Because of the critical nutrition that lactose in breast milk provides to infants, we are born with the ability to produce lactase. Only in rare instances are infants born with lactase deficiency, a condition called congenital alactasia. Infancy is the life stage when lactase production is highest.