The clinical significance of lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance may give rise to a variety of gastro enterological symptoms depending on the degree of lactase deficiency present. A percentage of patients may be asymtomatic, but the presence of lactose in their diet leads to inadequate absorption of a variety of important nutrients resulting in deficiency disorders or less than optimal weight gain. The increase in migration from southern Europe and of late from Indo-China significantly increases the Australian population likely to be lactase-deficient. Many immigrants keen to adapt to the Australian way of life see milk as a new essential part of their diet. This, accompanied with a lack of basic English as a language, may compound the problem of diagnosis in these patients particularly if the medical practitioner is unaware of the syndrome. The ready availability of lactose-hydrolyzed milk powder as a Pharmaceutical Benefit should allow all patients to gain the nutritional advantage of milk without suffering the complications associated with lactose intolerance.