How dairy affects your digestive system
Lactase, an enzyme found in milk, aids in the digestion of lactose, a carbohydrate. Lactase production in many people stops after they stop drinking mother's milk, and those people will be unable to consume milk products without experiencing digestive problems. Others continue to produce lactase as adults and can drink milk without difficulty.
It turns out that your ability to produce lactase is at least partially genetically determined, and a test could reveal your status. Northern Europeans, or people of Northern European descent, are more likely to be "lactose persistent" and produce lactose in their adult years.
