Have you ever experienced one or more of the below symptoms 15 minutes - 2 hours after a meal?

	Flatulence
	Bloated stomach
	Abdominal cramp
	Diarrhea
	Nausea

If you have, you may be lactose intolerant.

It is a dietary condition that arises when the body is unable to digest foods containing the common sugar, lactose. This condition results from the body's inability to produce sufficient lactase enzymes in the small intestine. The lactase enzyme is required to break down lactose into simpler forms that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. When the body does not produce enough lactase enzymes to digest the amount of lactose consumed from foods, undesirable gastrointestinal symptoms can occur.

Common symptoms include bloating or distention, abdominal cramps, nausea, flatulence or excessive gas production, and diarrhea. Lactose intolerant individuals tend to experience one or more of these symptoms 15 minutes to 2 hours after consuming foods that contain lactose. The severity of symptoms varies depending on the amount of lactose each individual can tolerate.

Lactose intolerance may be hereditary or more commonly acquired with age, and affects people in varying degrees. It can also develop as a result of gastrointestinal disorders, which damage the digestive tract.

It is estimated that up to 70% of the world's population is lactose intolerant. Almost 50 million people in America alone suffer from lactose intolerance and require medical supplementation. According to a clinical study, it is "the maturational decline in [the body's] lactase activity that renders most of the world's adult human population intolerant of excessive consumption of milk and other dairy products." [1] Studies have also indicated the highest percentage of lactose intolerance occurrence among Asians and other ethnic groups. Asians are more susceptible to this dietary disorder as a result of their traditional low dairy diet. In fact, many are even unaware that they may be suffering from this prevalent worldwide condition. According to a NUS study, it has been estimated that 95% of Singaporean Chinese suffer from lactose intolerance. Are you one of them?