Re: Question about Lactose Intolerance.......

[Guest guest]

Pam,

Milk contains a complex sugar: lactose. The gut normally contains

enzymes that break the sugar into simpler sugars: galactose and

glucose; these are absorbed into the bloodstream through the

intestinal wall. (The liver then converts galactose to glucose.)

The necessary enzyme is called lactase. For some reason the sites

for lactase production in the gut must be in the biliary limb, which

is no longer avaialble for us for food digestion, or the operation

somehow makes the sites that produce lactase less functional. So,

the lactose in dairy products is not broken up into simpler sugars

for absorption, and therefore it is available to critters in the gut

which metabolize it directly and make loads of gas. When milk is

processed into cheeses or yogurt, a good deal of the lactose is

broken down in the process, so SOME OF US can get away with eating

yogurt or cheese, even if we cannot drink milk or eat ice cream

without getting gas attacks.

For a much better and more detailed explanation, see:

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.51084

--Steve

At 11:59 AM -0400 9/20/01, pamjams2@... wrote:

>Hi Everybody,

>

>Can somebody please tell me what CAUSES lactose intolerance with this

>surgery? I was one of those people who mistakenly thought that I did not

>suffer from this and have now found out otherwise. I know that it's common

>with this surgery, but I never really understood why it happens or what

>causes it. Any answers?

--

[Guest guest]

You might be surprised at how much you can learn by going to a search

engine such as www.google.com and just pasting in the subject you are

intersted in .. this time " lactose intolerance " in the " advanced

search " option so the exact phrase is searched.

I found excellent sites at:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper/

and

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/lactose/lactose.htm

The story is:

" Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest significant amounts

of lactose, the predominant sugar of milk. This inability results

from a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is normally produced by

the cells that line the small intestine. "

It looks like the change in your intestine results in a scarcity of

lactose.

And here is a good one with a little more medical sophistication:

http://www.uaf.edu/coop-ext/efnep/lactose.html

" Lactose intolerance is a condition resulting from the inability to

fully utilize lactose, or milk sugar. Lactose is a disaccharide which

is cleaved to the component monosaccharides glucose and galactose in

the intestinal lumen prior to absorption. If this process is not

quantitative some (or all) ingested lactose is transported to the

colon where bacterial fermentation can occur. It is the products of

fermentation, combined with water influx to the gut, that result in

the abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. Characteristically

hydrogen gas is produced whose detection in the breath of an affected

individual is one basis for diagnosis of lactose intolerance.

Lactose is the primary sugar in the milk of mammals, including

humans, hence the trivial names lactose and milk sugar. The

intestinal enzyme lactase cleaves lactose, but the occurance of this

enzyme is variable. At birth, lactase levels are low but they rise

rapidly. After infancy lactase levels fall naturally, the perpetual

level depends on several factors including inheritence, but are often

some 10% of the infancy peak level by young adult age.

Some 80% of Northern and Central Europeans produce ample lactase to

tolerate diary products well into adulthood, possibly as a result of

a relatively recent mutation whose suitability corresponded to the

development of dairying. Lactose intolerance occurs in 50% of adult

Hispanics and 75% or more of people of African, Asian or Native

American decent.

Lactose intolerance can be transitory, as in secondary lactose

intolerance, usually as a result of damage to the lining of the small

intestine. Because milk is such a good source of calcium and protein,

it is beneficial to continue use of dairy products in the face of

lactose intolerance if an appropriate management technique can be

designed. For instance, reducing the quantity of milk consumed in a

single meal, consuming milk with a meal, consuming lactose reduced

dairy products, or using commercial lactase preparations to reduce

the amount of lactose in fluid milk can all help avoid symptoms of

lactose intolerance. "

in Settle

> Hi Everybody,

>

> Can somebody please tell me what CAUSES lactose intolerance with

this

> surgery? I was one of those people who mistakenly thought that I

did not

> suffer from this and have now found out otherwise. I know that

it's common

> with this surgery, but I never really understood why it happens or

what

> causes it. Any answers?

>

> Thanks!!

>

>

>

> Pam in MD