What is lactose composed of

Normally, lactase enzymes help to break down lactose. Lactose intolerance is very common, and it causes symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, cramps, and flatulence after consumption of dairy products that contain lactose.

Lactose intolerance is somewhat different from lactose maldigestion. With lactose maldigestion, the activity of the lactase enzyme is reduced—making lactose digestion difficult. But it causes little or no symptoms at all. Some babies are born with a lactase deficiency and cannot digest lactose in breast milk or formula. Severe diarrhea is the major symptom of this kind of lactose intolerance, and babies with this condition may develop dehydration and weight loss. Often, lactose-free formula is recommended.

Lactose is a natural sugar that's present in dairy foods. It also has a number of uses in the food processing and pharmaceutical industries. While lactose has many health benefits for babies in their development stage, adults can do without it. Instead, look for foods that are labeled lactose-free or lactose-reduced. But keep in mind that there are other important components of dairy products—such as calcium and protein—that you need to make sure you are getting in adequate amounts.

Gas pain? Stool issues? Sign up for the best tips to take care of your stomach. Hebbink G, Dickhoff B.. Application of lactose in the pharmaceutical industry. Smith KP. The origin of MacConkey agar. American Society for Microbiology. October 14, Lactose intolerance. Updated August 17, Lactose and derivatives.

Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry , pp. World Gastroenterology Organisation. Yogurt in nutrition: Initiative for a balanced diet. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. Back to all Resource articles. Lactose is the name of naturally-occurring milk sugar.

Lactose is found in milk from mammals: from human breastmilk to cow's milk and every kind of milk in between. Since lactose is found in milk, it's also naturally present in a variety of milk-derived dairy products, though the amount of it varies by the method of production and processing. Galactose is also a component of the molecules present on blood cells that determine the ABO blood types. According to more recent studies, lactose may play a role in the absorption of calcium and other minerals such as copper and zinc, especially during infancy.

Moreover, if it is not digested in the small intestine, lactose may be used by the intestinal microbiota the microorganism population that lives in the digestive tract as a nutrient prebiotic. Lactose and other milk sugars also promote the growth of bifidobacteria in the gut and may play a life-long role in countering the aging-associated decline of some immune functions.

Sources: Amaretti et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol ; He et al. Eur J Clin Invest ; Kobayashi et al. Am J Clin Nutr ;