DIGESTION IN HUMANS
Lactose intolerance – how prebiotic drinks play a part in easing symptoms
Summary of article
Lactose intolerance is a condition where a person does not have enough lactase to break down lactose, resulting in abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea. However, recently, studies done on humans that take in milk products with lactic acid bacteria (example: yoghurt) showed that the bacteria did help break down lactose in the yoghurt and that the patients suffering from lactose intolerance did not show any symptoms. Further studies done also proved that certain probiotic bacteria were able to help break down lactose effectively and that some also help the human body utilise lactose by fermenting it. Now, scientists are facing the optimistic prospect of using such probiotic bacteria to help relieve lactose intolerance.
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| Lactic Acid Bacteria |
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| Digestion of Lactose |
How the new findings benefit us
Ø No more lactose indigestion
With the help of bacteria, the enzyme lactase will be produced in sufficient quantities such that lactose can be properly digested and absorbed into the human body. This will help those who suffer from lactose intolerance be able to consume foods high in lactose without having to worry about symptoms like diarrhoea.
Ø Proper utilisation of lactose
Lactose cannot be absorbed into the body directly. It has to be digested into glucose and galactose for the body to absorb. Probiotic bacteria can, therefore, assist in the chemical digestion of lactose so that there will be glucose for the body to absorb and assimilate.
Drawback
Ø Only a possibility … … for now
While there is proof that probiotic bacteria can, indeed, help in easing lactose intolerance conditions, it is still in the experimental stage. Though the market has various nutrition supplements and beverages (example: Yakult), there is still no evaluative proof that bacteria can be used for long-term medicinal purposes.
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| Yakult |
Reflection
It was interesting as before I did my research, I never knew that probiotic bacteria can aid us in digestion of lactose through consumption of probiotic beverages. While many people have repeatedly told us that fruit can help us in our digestion, I never looked at the advice from a medical or scientific viewpoint, dismissing it as though it was some marketing scam. This was because I did not believe a mere bottle of dietary supplement can make a difference. However, only after reading the report, I found out that experts actually see it as a way to treat lactose intolerance.
After the research, I wanted to know how feasible it is to actually make use of probiotic anytime in the near future. As some of my friends suffer from lactose intolerance, I want to know how likely it is that they can start taking in food containing lactose.
During the learning process, it was not easy to pick a reliable source as not many reports had credible citations. This resulted in a possibility that the report may not be totally true.
After the research, I have taken an interest in this topic. I did not know that a simple little bottle of, say, Yakult, can help in easing a chronic condition. I no longer look at Yakult as a bottle of drink. I look at it as something that could possibly help pioneer a medical breakthrough.
