Question

Statement 1: Lactose intolerant people cannot consume any form of milk products.

Statement 2: Milk contains lactose, a sugar that cannot be digested by lactose intolerant people but can it can be consumed if it is metabolised into its sub-constituents as in curds/cheese and other dairy products.

Choose the correct option:

• A. Both the statements are true
• B. Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct
• C. Statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is incorrect
• D. Both the statements are incorrect

Answer 1

The correct option is B Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct

Lactose is the disaccharide sugar in the milk. Our body uses an enzyme called lactase to break down the sugar into smaller constituents so as to facilitate the absorption by the body. But there are people, whose bodies do not produce enough lactase to break the consumed lactose, thus making them lactose intolerant. So, often when milk is consumed it is not metabolized in the stomach or small intestine due to lack of enzyme lactase and is later broken or fermented in the colon by bacteria causing gas, bloating etc.

But other forms of lactose can be consumed, the milk can be converted into other forms like curd/yoghurt, where the lactose gets converted by the bacteria into another metabolized form and the body readily takes up the milk products.