Diarrhea

Increased frequency, liquidity, or volume of stools are all symptoms of diarrhea. Diarrhea is defined as passing more than 7 ounces (200 grams) of feces in a 24-hour period.

By raising the amount of water in the colon, which also increases the volume and liquid content of the stool, lactose intolerance causes diarrhea. Compared to adults, babies and young children are more prone to it. Diarrhea often only occurs when the colon has more than 1.6 ounces (45 grams) of carbs. In terms of lactose, this is comparable to consuming 3 to 4 cups (750 ml to 1 liter) of milk, assuming no lactose is digested before it reaches the colon. Lactose isn't the only source of carbs that can result in diarrhea, though. In fact, in healthy adults, 20 to 30% of all eaten carbs pass through the colon undigested. As a last note, lactose intolerance is just one of several causes of diarrhea. These include food, additional malabsorption conditions, drugs, infections, and inflammatory bowel diseases.