If the white stuff leaves you feeling far from all right, you could be lactose intolerant
If you get stomach cramps and have to run to the bathroom every time you drink a glass of milk, you may be lactose intolerant.
Lactose intolerance
Lactose, a sugar found in milk, has to be broken down by an enzyme called lactase before it can be absorbed by the body.
If someone is lactose intolerant, their body doesn't make sufficient lactase to break down the sugar.
This means that lactose passes straight through the gut undigested. Bacteria that live in the colon ferment the lactose causing nausea, stomach pain, bloating, gas and diarrhoea.
Although there are no official figures, some studies suggest lactose intolerance affects around 30 per cent of Chinese children, and more than 90 per cent of Chinese adults suffer from some form of lactose malabsorption.
