Lactose is a disaccharide sugar and it’s mainly found in dairy products. It’s made up of glucose and galactose. The enzyme lactase breaks down the carbohydrate lactose. Lactase is produced by cells in the small bowel. If lactase is nonexistent or lacking, lactose intolerance occurs. There are ways to classify people with lactase and without lactase. People with are called lactase persistent (LP) and without are called lactase non-persistent (LNP). There are many types of lactose intolerances. One type is primary lactose intolerance. It’s caused when your diet decreases its amount of milk and dairy products and it’s the most common form. The other type is secondary lactose intolerance. It results from another illness causing a decline in lactase.
