Dyspepsia due to failure to digest lactose is known as lactose intolerance. A person afflicted with lactose intolerance is unable to produce enough lactase, the enzyme required for the digestion of lactose. Dairy products’ primary carbohydrate is lactose.
There are two ways that lactose intolerance may begin: either at birth or later in life if the person has never had an issue before.
Infants with lactose intolerance due to a mutation in the LCT gene are permanently intolerant to lactose. As a person matures, their capacity to digest lactose diminishes, resulting in a condition known as lactose intolerance.
According to recent estimates, almost 65% of adults worldwide suffer from lactose intolerance of some kind. Millions of individuals in the United States suffer from this condition.
Lactose intolerance is normally innocuous, although its symptoms may be excruciatingly difficult to deal with bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and gas are some of the signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance that develop after ingesting lactose or dairy products.
Lactose intolerance symptoms are caused by malabsorption of lactose. Lactose malabsorption does not always result in stomach discomfort following lactose consumption. Lactose intolerance can only be diagnosed in persons who are experiencing symptoms.
Lactose-free goods, lactase supplements (such as Lactaid), and avoiding dairy are all options for those with the illness. There is no cure for this disease, however, medication may help manage the symptoms and lessen their severity.
Those who are lactose intolerant and have to avoid dairy products face the danger of not getting enough nutrients, particularly calcium and vitamin D, from their diet.
Osteoporosis, a disorder in which one’s bones grow brittle and more prone to shatter, may be caused by a lack of calcium. Lactose intolerance doesn’t have to mean compromising nutrition, according to the NIDDK, the national institute for diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases.
Worldwide Lactose Intolerance
If you’re from a country where lactose malabsorption is frequent, you’re more likely to suffer from lactose intolerance in the United States. American Indian, Asian American, and Hispanic/Latino people are more prone than others to suffer from lactose malabsorption.
Approximately 70% to 100% of individuals in East Asian nations have lactose intolerance; in Northern and Central Europe, only about 5% of the population has lactose intolerance, making it the most prevalent lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is more common in the following 10 nations than in any other country.
- Ghana – 100%
- Malawi – 100%
- South Korea – 100%
- Yemen – 100%
- Solomon Islands – 99%
- Armenia – 98%
- Vietnam – 98%
- Zambia – 98%
- Azerbaijan – 96%
- Oman – 96%
Also See: Infant Mortality Rate by Country 2022
There is the lowest incidence of lactose intolerance in the following 10 countries:
- Denmark – 4%
- Ireland – 4%
- Sweden – 7%
- United Kingdom – 8%
- New Zealand – 10%
- Netherlands – 12%
- Norway – 12%
- Niger – 13%
- Belgium – 15%
- Cyprus – 16%
Country | 2022 Population |
---|---|
China | 1448471.4000 |
India | 1406631.7760 |
United States | 334805.2690 |
Indonesia | 279134.5050 |
Pakistan | 229488.9940 |
Nigeria | 216746.9340 |
Brazil | 215353.5930 |
Bangladesh | 167885.6890 |
Russia | 145805.9470 |
Mexico | 131562.7720 |
Japan | 125584.8380 |
Ethiopia | 120812.6980 |
Philippines | 112508.9940 |
Egypt | 106156.6920 |
Vietnam | 98953.5410 |
DR Congo | 95240.7920 |
Iran | 86022.8370 |
Turkey | 85561.9760 |
Germany | 83883.5960 |
Thailand | 70078.2030 |
United Kingdom | 68497.9070 |
France | 65584.5180 |
Tanzania | 63298.5500 |
South Africa | 60756.1350 |
Italy | 60262.7700 |
Kenya | 56215.2210 |
Myanmar | 55227.1430 |
Colombia | 51512.7620 |
South Korea | 51329.8990 |
Uganda | 48432.8630 |
Spain | 46719.1420 |
Argentina | 46010.2340 |
Sudan | 45992.0200 |
Algeria | 45350.1480 |
Ukraine | 43192.1220 |
Iraq | 42164.9650 |
Afghanistan | 40754.3880 |
Canada | 38388.4190 |
Morocco | 37772.7560 |
Poland | 37739.7850 |
Saudi Arabia | 35844.9090 |
Angola | 35027.3430 |
Uzbekistan | 34382.0840 |
Peru | 33684.2080 |
Malaysia | 33181.0720 |
Mozambique | 33089.4610 |
Ghana | 32395.4500 |
Yemen | 31154.8670 |
Nepal | 30225.5820 |
Venezuela | 29266.9910 |
Madagascar | 29178.0770 |
Cameroon | 27911.5480 |
Ivory Coast | 27742.2980 |
Niger | 26083.6600 |
Australia | 26068.7920 |
North Korea | 25990.6790 |
Taiwan | 23888.5950 |
Burkina Faso | 22102.8380 |
Sri Lanka | 21575.8420 |
Mali | 21473.7640 |
Malawi | 20180.8390 |
Zambia | 19470.2340 |
Syria | 19364.8090 |
Chile | 19250.1950 |
Kazakhstan | 19205.0430 |
Romania | 19031.3350 |
Guatemala | 18584.0390 |
Ecuador | 18113.3610 |
Senegal | 17653.6710 |
Chad | 17413.5800 |
Netherlands | 17211.4470 |
Cambodia | 17168.6390 |
Somalia | 16841.7950 |
Zimbabwe | 15331.4280 |
Guinea | 13865.6910 |
Rwanda | 13600.4640 |
Benin | 12784.7260 |
Burundi | 12624.8400 |
Tunisia | 12046.6560 |
Bolivia | 11992.6560 |
Haiti | 11680.2830 |
Belgium | 11668.2780 |
South Sudan | 11618.5110 |
Cuba | 11305.6520 |
Dominican Republic | 11056.3700 |
Czech Republic | 10736.7840 |
Greece | 10316.6370 |
Jordan | 10300.8690 |
Azerbaijan | 10300.2050 |
Honduras | 10221.2470 |
Sweden | 10218.9710 |
Portugal | 10140.5700 |
United Arab Emirates | 10081.7850 |
Tajikistan | 9957.4640 |
Hungary | 9606.2590 |
Belarus | 9432.8000 |
Papua New Guinea | 9292.1690 |
Austria | 9066.7100 |
Israel | 8922.8920 |
Switzerland | 8773.6370 |
Togo | 8680.8370 |
Serbia | 8653.0160 |
Sierra Leone | 8306.4360 |
Hong Kong | 7604.2990 |
Laos | 7481.0230 |
Paraguay | 7305.8430 |
Libya | 7040.7450 |
Bulgaria | 6844.5970 |
Nicaragua | 6779.1000 |
Kyrgyzstan | 6728.2710 |
Lebanon | 6684.8490 |
El Salvador | 6550.3890 |
Turkmenistan | 6201.9430 |
Singapore | 5943.5460 |
Denmark | 5834.9500 |
Republic of the Congo | 5797.8050 |
Finland | 5554.9600 |
Norway | 5511.3700 |
Slovakia | 5460.1930 |
Palestine | 5345.5410 |
Oman | 5323.9930 |
Liberia | 5305.1170 |
Costa Rica | 5182.3540 |
Ireland | 5020.1990 |
Central African Republic | 5016.6780 |
Mauritania | 4901.9810 |
New Zealand | 4898.2030 |
Panama | 4446.9640 |
Kuwait | 4380.3260 |
Croatia | 4059.2860 |
Moldova | 4013.1710 |
Georgia | 3968.7380 |
Eritrea | 3662.2440 |
Uruguay | 3496.0160 |
Mongolia | 3378.0780 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3249.3170 |
Jamaica | 2985.0940 |
Qatar | 2979.9150 |
Armenia | 2971.9660 |
Albania | 2866.3740 |
Puerto Rico | 2829.8120 |
Lithuania | 2661.7080 |
Namibia | 2633.8740 |
Gambia | 2558.4820 |
Botswana | 2441.1620 |
Gabon | 2331.5330 |
Lesotho | 2175.6990 |
North Macedonia | 2081.3040 |
Slovenia | 2078.0340 |
Guinea-Bissau | 2063.3670 |
Latvia | 1848.8370 |
Bahrain | 1783.9830 |
Equatorial Guinea | 1496.6620 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 1406.5850 |
Timor-Leste | 1369.4290 |
Estonia | 1321.9100 |
Mauritius | 1274.7270 |
Cyprus | 1223.3870 |
Eswatini | 1184.8170 |
Djibouti | 1016.0970 |
Fiji | 909.4660 |
Reunion | 908.0610 |
Comoros | 907.4190 |
Guyana | 794.0450 |
Bhutan | 787.9410 |
Solomon Islands | 721.1590 |
Macau | 667.4900 |
Luxembourg | 642.3710 |
Montenegro | 627.9500 |
Western Sahara | 626.1610 |
Suriname | 596.8310 |
Cape Verde | 567.6780 |
Maldives | 540.9850 |
Brunei | 445.4310 |
Malta | 444.0330 |
Belize | 412.1900 |
Bahamas | 400.5160 |
Guadeloupe | 399.7940 |
Martinique | 374.0870 |
Iceland | 345.3930 |
Vanuatu | 321.8320 |
French Guiana | 314.1690 |
New Caledonia | 290.9150 |
Barbados | 288.0230 |
Mayotte | 286.2590 |
French Polynesia | 284.1640 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 227.6790 |
Samoa | 202.2390 |
Saint Lucia | 185.1130 |
Guam | 171.5190 |
Curacao | 165.5290 |
Kiribati | 123.4190 |
Micronesia | 117.4890 |
Grenada | 113.4750 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 111.5510 |
Tonga | 107.7490 |
Aruba | 107.6090 |
United States Virgin Islands | 103.9710 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 99.5090 |
Seychelles | 99.4260 |
Isle of Man | 85.7320 |
Andorra | 77.4630 |
Dominica | 72.3440 |
Cayman Islands | 67.2770 |
Bermuda | 61.9390 |
Marshall Islands | 60.0570 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 58.2690 |
Greenland | 56.9730 |
American Samoa | 55.0300 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 53.8710 |
Faroe Islands | 49.2330 |
Sint Maarten | 43.9660 |
Monaco | 39.7830 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 39.7410 |
Saint Martin | 39.7300 |
Liechtenstein | 38.3870 |
San Marino | 34.0850 |
Gibraltar | 33.7040 |
British Virgin Islands | 30.5960 |
Palau | 18.2330 |
Cook Islands | 17.5710 |
Anguilla | 15.2300 |
Tuvalu | 12.0660 |
Wallis and Futuna | 10.9820 |
Nauru | 10.9030 |
Saint Barthelemy | 9.9450 |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 5.7590 |
Montserrat | 4.9650 |
Falkland Islands | 3.5390 |
Niue | 1.6220 |
Tokelau | 1.3780 |
Vatican City | 0.7990 |