Lactose intolerance classification

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

There are three major types of lactose intolerance. They are primary lactose intolerance, secondary lactose intolerance and congenital lactase deficiency.

Classification

There are three major types of lactose intolerance:

1. Primary lactose intolerance: Environmentally induced by weaning in non dairy consuming societies. In most Asian and African cultures, mother's milk is the only commonly available milk and so milk consumption beyond infancy is not commonplace, therefore children become weaned, which is the same weaning process for all mammals (domesticated and wild). However societies such as the japanese where milk consumption has been on the increase, demonstrate that notwithstanding the genetic predisposition to lactose intolerance, they now present lower prevalence of lactose intolerance. For any given individual the degree of weaning is probably genetically influenced.
2. Secondary lactose intolerance: Environmentally induced, resulting from certain gastrointestinal diseases, including exposure to intestinal parasites such as giardia. In such cases the production of lactase may be permanently disrupted.
3. Congenital lactase deficiency present at birth and diagnosed in early infancy.