Lactose malabsorption in healthy Chinese adults

Hydrogen breath tests for lactose malabsorption were performed in 20 indigenous Chinese adults. Seventy‐five percent of the subjects demonstrated malabsorption of 25 g of lactose. Thirteen out of fifteen of these subjects experienced gastrointestinal symptoms during the test. Elevated hydrogen levels in exhaled breath were usually observed by one to two hours after lactose loading. Symptoms first occurred from 0.5 to two hours after ingestion of the lactose test solution and usually lasted less than four hours. These findings in mainland Chinese confirm prior studies of lactose malabsorption in Chinese who had emigrated to countries outside China.

Key words:

• Hydrogen breath test
• lactase deficiency
• lactose malabsorption
• lactose intolerance
• milk intolerance