NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF LACTOSE INTOLERANCE: IMPORTANCE OF DIET AND FOOD LABELING

70% of the adult population worldwide has limited expression of the enzyme lactase, which varies widely between different regions and countries. Lactase deficiency can lead to lactose intolerance (LI). Depending on the amount of lactose ingested and the activity of lactase, people with lactose malabsorption can experience a wide range of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms and manifestations.