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Malabsorption Syndromes

 

 
 

Your small intestine does most of the digesting of the foods you eat. If you have a malabsorption syndrome, your small intestine cannot absorb nutrients from foods.

Causes of malabsorption syndromes include

  • Celiac disease
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Short bowel syndrome, which happens after surgery to remove a large portion of the small intestine
  • Whipple disease, a rare bacterial infection
  • Genetic diseases
  • Certain medicines

Treatment of malabsorption syndromes depends on the cause.