gastrointestinal disorders
Carbohydrate Intolerance
Pathophysiology of Carbohydrate Intolerance
Disaccharides are normally split into monosaccharides by disaccharidases (eg,lactase, maltase, isomaltase, sucrase [invertase]) located in the brush border of small-bowel enterocytes. Undigested disaccharides cause an osmotic load that attracts water and electrolytes into the bowel, causing watery diarrhea. Bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates in the colon produces gases (hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane), resulting in excessive flatus, bloating and distention, and abdominal pain. 