It seems ridiculous that a man, especially in the midst of his pleasures, should have to go beneath a cow like a calf three times a day. Because there is often a delay in the onset of these symptoms, few people attribute their condition to the dairy products they have eaten. It is not until individuals entirely eliminate dairy products from their diet that they have the opportunity to experience relief and understand the connection between their consumption of milk products and these symptoms. Yet after infancy, milk is no longer a necessity, because other foods have become palatable. In fact, many people are incapable of digesting cow's milk properly after the infancy stage due to a lack of a digestive enzyme called lactase.
Lactase is necessary to break down the disaccharide sugar in milk called lactose.
When lactase is present, lactose is broken down into two monosaccharide sugars, glucose and galactose. In most cases, the body progressively stops manufacturing this enzyme by age four, although it may continue to do so in small amounts. Those whose bodies no longer produce this digestive enzyme have a condition called lactose intolerance. What happens is that the undigested lactose moves to the large intestine, where it is attacked by bacteria that convert the undigested sugar to gas and lactic acid. The result may be a number of side effects including a bloating sensation, diarrhea, gas, and abdominal pain.