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

> it’s isn’t broken apart?

It’s not broken apart *by you*… but your intestines are full of billions of bacteria that can break it down just fine!

When your own body can’t break down the lactose into a digestible form, that just means it passes through the stomach and becomes a huge pile of food for intestinal bacteria. The result is that:

* the bacteria multiply to much higher population levels than they should have, and
* all those bacteria eating all that food creates a bunch of waste products and gases

All the bacteria and their gassy excrement being generated inside your pipes is what causes the pain and bloating, not the glycocidic linkages!