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Lactose Maldigestion

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Probiotics 2

Abstract

Lactose, the main milk sugar, is frequently partly maldigested either because of gastrointestinal diseases or because of the physiological decline of the intestinal lactase activity with age. Lactose maldigestion can lead to clinical symptoms of ‘lactose intolerance’. Improvement of lactose digestion and tolerance is one of the best established properties of probiotics, especially lactic acid bacteria. In this chapter we review the basic mechanisms of lactose digestion and tolerance, evidence for the good digestion and tolerance of fermented dairy products by lactase deficient subjects, and the mechanisms involved in this effect.

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Authors
  1. P. Marteau
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  2. T. Vesa
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  3. J. C. Rambaud
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UK

    R. Fuller (Freelance Consultant in Gut Microecology Reading) (Freelance Consultant in Gut Microecology Reading)

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Marteau, P., Vesa, T., Rambaud, J.C. (1997). Lactose Maldigestion. In: Fuller, R. (eds) Probiotics 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5860-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5860-2_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6476-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5860-2

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