lactose

Examples of lactose in the following topics:

• Lactose Intolerance

  • Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk, due to a lack of the enzyme lactase.
  • Lactose intolerant individuals have insufficient levels of lactase, the enzyme that metabolizes lactose into glucose and galactose, in their digestive system .
  • However, those living among societies that are largely lactose-tolerant may find lactose intolerance troublesome.
  • About 44% of lactose intolerant women regain the ability to digest lactose during pregnancy.
  • Individuals who suffer from lactose intolerance have insufficient levels of lactase to break down the lactose in milk and dairy products.

• Galactosemia and Glycogen Storage Disease

  • Although the sugar and lactose metabolizes to galactose, galactosemia is not related to and should not be confused with lactose intolerance.
  • Lactose in food (such as dairy products) is broken down by the enzyme lactase into glucose and galactose.
  • The only treatment for classic galactosemia is eliminating lactose and galactose from the diet.
  • Infants with classic galactosemia cannot be breast-fed due to lactose in human breast milk and are usually fed a soy-based formula.
  • Galactosemia is sometimes confused with lactose intolerance, but galactosemia is a more serious condition.

• Chemical Digestion of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, and Nucleic Acids

  • Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down the disaccharide lactose into its component parts, glucose and galactose, which can also be absorbed by the small intestine.
  • This condition is commonly known as lactose intolerance.

• Malabsorption of Nutrients

  • Researchers then discovered that lactose malabsorption is actually the norm for most populations in the world.
  • Lactase deficiency, which prevents the breakdown of lactose, is a common cause of malabsorption.
  • For example, patients may be put on a gluten-free diet for celiac disease or taught lactose avoidance for lactose intolerance.

• Digestive Processes of the Large Intestine

  • oligosaccharides and sugars like lactose (in the case of lactose intolerance) and sugar alcohols

• Absorption of Monosaccharides, Amino Acids, Dipeptides, Tripeptides, Lipids, Electrolytes, Vitamins, and Water

  • The lactase enzyme breaks down lactose, milk sugar.
  • Lactase is absent in most adult humans and for them lactose, like most polysaccharides, are not digested in the small intestine.

• Digestive Processes of the Small Intestine

  • Lactase is absent in most adult humans and for them lactose, like most poly-saccharides, is not digested in the small intestine.