Question

Mike has lactose intolerance and has to ingest commercial lactase in pill form before consuming milk products in order to avoid the unpleasant symptoms associated with this disorder. One day he noticed a classmate refusing a free sample of the new milkshakes sold in the campus cafe. His classmate, Jamal, explains that he has to avoid all milk products in his diet because he has galactosemia. Mike offers Jamal one of his lactase pills. Because both of their disorders are caused by consumption of milk products, he thinks Jamal should try lactase to see if it will allow him to try the milkshake. Should Jamal try the lactase pill to see if it will work

Answer 1

Answer: Jamal should not try the lactase pill, because it won't work, instead it may complicate his health issue.

Explanation: Galactosemia is a genetic metabolic disorder, that affects the ability of an individual to properly digest a sugar called galactose.

Lactose intolerance is a genetic disorder that makes an individual unable to properly digest a sugar called lactose.

The genetic disorder of Mike and Jamal are different, even though the symptoms can be triggered with an intake of milk. Lactase pill can help Mike digest his lactose, but Jamal does not have a lactose issue like Mike. Jamal has a galactose issue, which cannot be digested by lactase.

Therefore if Jamal intake lactase pill, it will not digest the galactose in the milk, instead it may cause him to have lactose intolerance, added to his health issue.