if you’re lactose intolerant, why does the lactose cause bowel distress instead of passing through inertly?

Question

I get that lactase is needed to break it down into galactose and glucose, but why does the two monosaccharides’ glycocidic linkage cause so much pain and problems during digestion if it’s isn’t broken apart?

In: 104

Answer 1

A huge family of gut bacteria are capable of fermenting lactose. They are relatives of our old Friend *E.coli.*
If you can’t digest it they will and when they do they produce a whole lot of gas! It’s being forcibly inflated by the gas that causes the discomfort and potential projectile sharting.