Lactose-free Milk

Everyone of us know that milk is a superfood that provides essential nutrients to the body. This is evident from the fact that dairy products are included in healthy diet plan. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions, wherein individuals are unable to digest lactose present in milk. In such a case, lactose-free milk is incorporated as a substitute for milk and its products. This helps in providing the health benefits of milk, thereby avoiding lactose intolerance symptoms.

What is Lactose-free Milk?

Let's first try to understand basics about lactose. It is a type of natural sugar found in milk. For digestion of this milk sugar, a particular enzyme called lactase plays a crucial role. In people diagnosed with lactose intolerance, the body secretes little or no lactase, thus causing symptoms that mimic indigestion. When milk or dairy products are consumed, manifested signs of lactose sensitivity include bloating, gassiness, nausea and abdominal cramps. On an average, about 75 percent of adults show some degree of sensitivity to lactose.

In lactose-free milk produced by dairy industries, the enzyme lactase is added during the production process. This enzyme is mixed with an inert carrier, after which it is used for passing milk. As the milk passes over the enzyme, lactose molecules get cleaved into simpler forms. Thus, this type of milk is free of lactose and causes no adverse reactions in people who are sensitive to lactose. Besides this milk based product, there are plant derived products that are marketed as lactose-free milk versions, viz., soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, peanut milk and rice milk.

Nutrition Facts

According to food nutrition facts, the nutritional value of lactose-free milk is nearly similar to regular milk. Except for lactose, it still contains the remaining milk nutrients. Taste wise, milk free of lactose is slightly sweeter than regular milk. The sweet flavor is imparted as lactose is broken down into glucose and galactose. Nevertheless, the actual nutrition of lactose-free milk may vary slightly according to the product version. Say for instance, you have whole milk, fat free, low fat and reduced fat products.

Of all the lactose-free milk varieties, whole milk contains high calories and fats. Likewise, fat free is low in calorie count and fatty ingredient. The low fat and reduced fat products contain 1 percent fat and 2 percent fat respectively. For people who are allergic to milk (not only lactose), there is point in consuming milk or milk products free of lactose. Since they contain milk protein and other nutrients as that of regular milk, there is a high chance to exhibit allergy symptoms. Note that lactose intolerance and milk allergy are two different medical conditions.

In the supermarket, you will get various milk brands that are lactose-free. Also, they are available in both conventional and organic lactose-free milk. While purchasing product released by dairy companies, make sure you refer to the product label before including it in the lactose-free diet. Some of the product brands retain 30 percent of lactose, and are excellent for people who can tolerate lactose to some extent. Also, you will come across products that contain zero lactose. In simple words, 70-100 percent of lactose in milk are converted to simpler forms by adding lactase enzyme.

Similar to adults, lactose intolerance in babies is quite common. However, feeding lactose-free milk to babies and toddlers can lead to certain side effects, which every parents should be aware of. Normally, the digestive system of babies secretes lactase after receiving regular milk that contains lactose. If the baby is regularly fed with milk free of lactose, it is quite likely that he/she will not be able to produce lactase enzyme in the long run. Thus, it is imperative to take medical supervision before using milk free of lactose for baby feeding.

Like regular milk storage, lactose-free milk and alike products like lactose-free cheese require refrigeration to avoid spoilage. As far as uses are concerned, it can be drank alone by pouring in glass, or consumed with cereals. In fact, you can use it in baking or cooking any type of dishes that call for regular milk.