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Article: Living with lactose intolerance: if you take some simple steps, you can continue to enjoy a variety of dietary favorites.
- Article from:
- Ebony
- Article date:
- October 1, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Do you love milk, ice cream, cheese and other dairy products, but find that eating such appetizing items gives you some discomfort? If so, then you might be one of the millions who are lactose intolerant. Between 30 million to 50 million Americans suffer from the digestive condition and about 75 percent of African-Americans are lactose intolerant, a condition that affects only about 21 percent of Whites.
Lactose intolerance is the inability or decreased ability to digest lactose or milk sugar. This occurs when there is a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is produced by the cells that line the small intestine. The enzyme breaks down the milk sugar (lactose) ...