Lactose (milk sugar), benefits and harms, lactose in products. Lactose intolerance - causes

What is lactose (milk sugar, lactobiose) and where is it used? A similar question may concern those interested in healthy eating people trying to improve their health. Lactose is a tandem of galactose and glucose molecules. Interestingly, the method of obtaining milk sugar has remained virtually unchanged since its discovery - the substance is “extracted” by evaporating whey.

What is lactose

Milk sugar is classified as a carbohydrate from the group of disaccharides. It is contained in milk, and for newborn young mammals it becomes the only source of energy that ensures the growth and development of the body. There is 6% lactobiose in human milk, and 4.4-4.7% in cow's milk. The concentration of the substance changes little, but may decrease with serious illnesses woman or animal.

In milk, almost all milk sugar is in a free state, and only a small amount of it is associated with proteins and other carbohydrates. In the intestines, under the action of the enzyme lactase, lactobiose breaks down into glucose and galactose, and only in this form passes into the cells of the body.

Where is lactose found?

Given the name "milk sugar", many people mistakenly believe that lactose is found only in dairy products. But this is not true. Lactose is used when baking bread, because it gives beautiful colour crust. In candies, dark chocolate, and marmalades, its use provides enhanced taste qualities confectionery.

Condensed milk is not produced without the addition of milk sugar. Lactose is found in cream, which is used for tea and coffee. Chips, regardless of flavor, contain large quantities of lactobiose. Milk sugar can even contain meat if the production tried to eliminate saltiness or bitter taste meat raw materials.

But not only food products become sources of milk sugar, but also a large number of medicines. These include contraceptives: Drotaverine, enzyme preparations(Motilium, Festal), Enap, Cerucal, vitamins for growth.

By adding lactobiose, you can increase the energy benefits of medications, improve their digestibility and taste. Athletes who should not interrupt their daily mandatory training should pay especially close attention to the composition of the tablets. What else are the benefits and harms of lactose?

The benefits of lactose have not been fully studied. But today it is known that she:
accumulates energy;
participates in calcium metabolism;
suppresses decay processes in digestive tract;
promotes the growth of lactobacilli;
protects organs from diseases of cardio-vascular system;
stimulates the work of nerve tissues, increasing the speed of impulses along nerve highways.

Harm of lactose to the body

Lactose does not cause harm to the body. The exception is individual intolerance to the substance. This is due to two reasons:
emergence allergic reaction on the entry of lactose into the body;
lack of lactase in the intestines.

In both cases, a thorough examination is required. It is necessary to prevent lactose deficiency, which is very harmful to the functioning of the body.

Carbohydrates are a source of human energy, and milk has long been considered the healthiest product. These statements lose their relevance over time, since milk contains lactose, and its benefits and harms are the main topic of debate among doctors of different profiles. So what effect does lactose have on the human body?

What is lactose?

Lactose is an important carbohydrate, consuming which a person stores energy. In food, lactose is found in dairy products and is a sugar.

This chemical compound was discovered back in 1780 by Karl Wilhelm Scheele. He noted that everyone milk product contains approximately 6% lactose, and in the human body this substance is susceptible to the action of enzymes and enters the blood.

What role does lactose play in the human body?

Despite the fact that there is controversy about the benefits of lactose, it still does not stop playing important role in the body and perform life-supporting functions.

Everyone known consequence lactose in the body - viscous saliva. It is difficult to imagine how complicated a person’s life would be without this important substance for salivation in his body.

Moreover, thanks to lactose, the absorption of B vitamins, calcium and ascorbic acid.

It should be noted that this substance affects the active reproduction of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which brings the intestinal microflora back to normal.

Properties of lactose: what benefits does it provide?

Many people, especially trying to keep up with fashion trends, claim that lactose has no benefit and can easily be replaced herbal analogues. Actually this is not true. Lactose still carries a number beneficial properties and they should be considered in more detail:

Positive effect on the intestines

Lactose has a positive effect on work gastrointestinal tract. Milk sugar stimulates the active proliferation of important bacteria and prevents putrefactive and inflammatory processes;

Stabilization of the nervous system

How strange it is, but lactose has positive influence even on nervous system, thanks to its stimulating properties nerve cells;

· Normalization of calcium metabolism

By consuming milk sugar, you can be sure that calcium absorption is excellent;

· Powerful charge carbohydrates

Lactose is one of the main carbohydrates, that is, the substances that underlie human energy. By consuming dairy products containing this substance, you can forget about fatigue and for a long time be in a cheerful mood;

· Improved absorption and absorption of vitamins

Lactose is an ideal conductor for B vitamins and vitamin E. By consuming the above vitamins in sufficient quantity, their absorption cannot be guaranteed, but milk sugar solves this problem;

· Prevention of heart and vascular diseases

Regular consumption of lactose prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system;

· Increased immunity

Dairy products that contain lactose increase and maintain immunity levels, thereby preventing seasonal diseases and decreased body tone.

The harmful effects of lactose on the body

Of course, lactose has a number of beneficial properties, without which it would seem difficult for a person to live. But in Lately, the controversial attitude towards milk sugar has given rise to more and more new research, which was revealed by the following harmful qualities of this substance:

1. Accumulation of lactose in the intestines

If lactose accumulates, fluid may be retained in the body. The consequences of this phenomenon are disappointing: flatulence, diarrhea, bloating.

2. Fast absorption lactose in the small intestine

If mucous small intestine digests lactose too quickly, this is fraught with the release of toxins, that is, breakdown products, which, by their occurrence, can cause intoxication of the body.

3. Environment for the development of bacteria

Lactose, if it is not processed by the intestines, becomes a favorable environment for reproduction various kinds bacteria, which, by no means positively, affect human health.

It should be mentioned that all these problems occur to people with reduced content in the body the enzyme lactase. A deficiency of this substance can cause many problems with lactose and even lactose intolerance.

What foods contain lactose?

Lactose is found in a huge list of products. The most obvious products containing this substance are, of course, dairy products. The milk sugar content in different products can be open or hidden. The first category includes products in which lactose is present, as a fact. The second category includes various medications and products in which the presence of milk sugar is unknown, which can cause harm to a person with lactose intolerance.

The most commonly consumed foods with obvious lactose content are:

· Ice cream

· Sour cream

· Butter

· Margarine

· Porridge (semolina, rice)

What about the hidden milk sugar content in products? These lactose carriers are:

· Medications

In many medicines lactose is used as an improvement taste sensations, and also increases bioavailability. The most commonly used preparations containing lactose: oral contraceptives and vitamin D. Despite this, the content of milk sugar in medications reaches a minimum, so people with lactose intolerance should not worry about their health.

· Bakery

Other carriers of lactose are: crackers, cookies, bread, chips (potato), muesli, and various cereals;

Meat, especially in the form of sausages, sausages and other products, is also rich in milk sugar;

· Instant coffee, cocoa, food instant cooking

In fast food products, lactose is a component that gives texture to the finished dish, it also adds flavor and prevents lumps;

· Alcohol

Alcohol, not surprisingly, is also on the list of products containing lactose. This is especially true for milk-based liqueurs.

How to consume lactose for health benefits?

To prevent problems with lactose, it is necessary to control its consumption. According to scientific research, children school age 500 ml/g per day is enough, for adults, 2 times more. Such limits apply only to milk. By consuming dairy products containing lactose, you can safely reduce your daily intake. Lactose in pure form should be used with caution. Its norm for an adult is approximately 60 grams per day.

As for lactose intolerance, as described above, the reason for this is the insufficient content of the lactase enzyme in the body. This condition will lead to disappointing consequences of consuming dairy products: flatulence, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea and stomach pain. Often, lactose intolerance is a hereditary or congenital condition.

In conclusion, we can only note that any product, including lactose, can bring both benefit and harm. It is important to pay attention to recommendations for its use, as well as carefully monitor your health.

Today, scientists are increasingly reconsidering their view of many quite traditional elements of nutrition. And what was considered healthy by default several decades ago is now on the list of harmful products.

The controversy surrounding milk, without which tens and hundreds of thousands of people around the world cannot imagine their lives, has not subsided for years. One of the reasons for the ambiguous attitude towards milk is the lactose it contains. What harm does this substance cause to the body and is it possible to benefit from it?

Lactose, or milk sugar, is a disaccharide containing glucose and galactose. Most of this substance can be found in milk (up to 8% of total mass), as well as in dairy products. Scientists have also found negligible amounts of lactose in cabbage, turnips, and almonds. However, modern manufacturers often use the pure substance in the production of cocoa, cookies, candies, and chocolate.

Once in the body, lactose is exposed to a special enzyme - lactase. Being broken down into its simplest components - galactose and glucose, it is easily absorbed by the body.

Benefits of lactose

Lactose is good for many things:

• The benefits of this substance are very significant. Lactose serves great source energy. For example, for infants, lactose contained in mother's breast milk, is perhaps the main, if not the most important, source of energy. Thanks to her, the baby develops harmoniously and gains sufficient weight.
• For lactobacilli contained in dairy products and included in beneficial microflora intestines, the benefits of lactose are obvious. For them, it constitutes an almost ideal nutrient medium.
• The benefits of milk sugar and beneficial effects it on the central nervous system. It is no coincidence that one of the most famous and publicly accessible folk ways calm frayed nerves, cheer up and lift your spirits - a glass of fresh, fresh milk.
• She serves excellent prophylactic against diseases of the cardiovascular system. This is the undoubted benefit of lactose.
• Strengthen the immune system, maintain strength in the body and protect it from the harmful effects of harmful external factors- and this is the obvious benefit of lactose.

Harm from lactose

The main harm of lactose is due to its complete or partial intolerance. This is due to the insufficient content of lactase in the body, which is designed to facilitate the absorption of milk sugar.

What breaks down lactose?

Scientists talk about two main reasons for this phenomenon. The first is genetic predisposition. In other words, such nutritional feature passed on from generation to generation. Second - natural reduction over time, the amount of lactase in the body.

As soon as the baby emerges from infancy, his diet begins to be enriched with new foods, the need for milk decreases, and the body responds to the changes by reducing the amount of lactase produced. Sometimes this process stops altogether. In this case, drinking milk brings inevitable harm.

It is noteworthy that hypolactasia much more often affects representatives of the Mongoloid or Negroid races than, for example, white-skinned Europeans. This is worth considering when planning a trip or even moving to an exotic country: in many of them, we are so familiar cow's milk It's simply not for sale.

Why is hypolactasia dangerous? The harm of lactose in this case is manifested in the fact that, being undigested by the body, it contributes to water retention in the intestines. This is fraught with severe dehydration of the entire body against the background of attacks of diarrhea.

Another danger lies in the fact that unprocessed lactose becomes excellent nutrient medium for many pathogenic bacteria, and such a “breeding ground” can serve as a source serious problems with health, primarily in the gastrointestinal tract. And this is the undoubted harm of lactose for those who suffer from lactose intolerance.

The following symptoms should seriously alert you:

• sharp pain in the stomach;
• bloating;
• prolonged diarrhea;
• nausea;
• rumbling in the stomach.

All these signs that manifested themselves half an hour to an hour after drinking milkshake or a regular glass of milk are a clear indication of lactose intolerance. However accurate diagnosis Only a doctor can diagnose after thorough examination and obtaining the results of special tests.

Hypolactasia is not a disease in the full sense; there is no cure for it. The only and the surest way minimize the harm from lactose or even reduce it to zero - forget about milk in your menu. Often this turns out to be quite sufficient. At the same time, dairy products that do not bring the same severe harm, fit harmoniously and safely into the diet.

However, if the body does not produce lactase at all, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, fermented baked milk, yoghurts, and cheeses will have to be excluded from the diet. Infants whose bodies cannot digest lactose from the moment of birth, unfortunately, have to be completely denied mother's milk. Special mixtures have been developed for them that do not contain lactose.

Attentive parents study the labels of infant formula and are interested in their composition. One of the ingredients in the mixtures is lactose. Is this ingredient beneficial for babies and in what cases can lactose harm the baby?

What is this?

Lactose is a disaccharide, that is, a carbohydrate made of two molecules (glucose + galactose). The formula of this carbohydrate is C12H22O11.

The name of this disaccharide is related to the Latin word “lactis”, meaning “milk”, since lactose molecules are found in dairy products. The second name of this disaccharide is "milk sugar".

In the human intestine, this carbohydrate is broken down by the enzyme lactase.

What are they made of?

The compound is derived from whey. This disaccharide was first isolated by the Italian Fabrizio Bertoletti in 1615. He evaporated the whey, and then cooled it, resulting in a slurry containing lactose. To this day, the production process of this substance has not changed much. Now lactose is still obtained from whey by the evaporation method.

Lactose is made from whey, which is very healthy

Benefit

Harm

Such natural sugar, like lactose, is very useful substance, which can cause harm only if the body has problems with its absorption. The reason for such problems is an insufficient amount lactase is an enzyme involved in the breakdown of milk sugar.

At individual intolerance it is necessary to buy lactose-free mixtures that will be well absorbed by the child's body

conclusions

If the child does not have a pathology called " lactase deficiency", lactose will not cause any harm to the baby.

If just a few years ago milk was considered one of the the healthiest products nutrition, today the situation has changed, primarily due to the fact that lactose is present in its composition. The benefits and harms of this substance have long been studied by scientists and nutritionists, but controversy about it still does not subside. To understand whether you need to give up your favorite product (and not only that), you should understand the properties of lactose. At this moment Special attention Young parents and people experiencing discomfort after consuming dairy products should pay attention.

Characteristics of lactose

Lactose is called natural organic compound, which belongs to the group of carbohydrate saccharides. The substance is present in all dairy products, which is why people increasingly call it “milk sugar”. Despite the fact that the existence of lactose was known several centuries ago, its effect on human health has become of interest to scientists only recently. This is especially important during the period of feeding newborns, who sometimes develop intolerance to the product.

Lactose, after entering the body, is not absorbed, but is broken down into its components - glucose and galactose. This occurs under the action of a special enzyme, lactase. A substance with unique properties minimum quantities It was even found in almonds, turnips and cabbage. U chemical compound There are many beneficial properties due to which food manufacturers are increasingly adding it to their products.

Useful properties of lactose

Today, lactose can be found not only in traditional dairy products. It is often included in nougat, dry milk mixtures, creams, cream, baked goods, yoghurts, etc. This popularity of the substance is due to the impressive list of its beneficial properties:

• It is an excellent source of energy and imparts such qualities to the entire product.

Advice: Supporters of some modern systems nutritionists are calling for the complete abandonment of milk sugar and its replacement with vegetable analogues. In some cases, this actually affects human health in a positive way. But there are situations in which such changes lead to negative consequences. When deciding in favor of fashion trends, you need to listen to the reaction of your body.

• Lactose is perfect food for beneficial lactobacilli that inhabit the intestines. The use of milk and all other products restores or improves the problem microflora.
• Milk sugar has a positive effect even on the nervous system. It’s not for nothing that people use it excellent remedy to lift your spirits - a little glass warm milk. And if you drink a warmed drink before bed, complete and quality rest is guaranteed.
• Chemical composition and physical properties lactose trigger effective prevention diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Another substance helps strengthen the immune system, increases the body’s resistance negative impact external factors.
• We must not forget that lactose is necessary for normalization calcium metabolism. It also promotes normal intestinal absorption of vitamins B and C.

In general, according to experts, lactose is a useful and necessary substance for the body from all points of view. Potential Harm a chemical compound is noted only in case of intolerance. Fortunately, this feature of the body is extremely rare among Europeans.

The harm of lactose and its intolerance

Some people have a deficiency in the body of the enzyme lactase, which is supposed to break down lactose into its components. Sometimes it is produced in the required volume, but turns out to be inactive. If the substances in milk sugar are not absorbed by the body as needed, this can provoke the development of the following problems:

1. Lactose accumulates in the intestines, causing fluid retention. Against this background, diarrhea, flatulence, bloating and uncontrolled release of gases may occur.
2. In cases where lactose is absorbed too quickly by the mucous membrane of the small intestine, breakdown products begin to be released into its cavity. In form, these are toxins that can cause poisoning of the body. As a result, the person begins to experience symptoms that resemble a food allergy.
3. Milk sugar that has not been digested and excreted by the intestines becomes a breeding ground pathogenic bacteria. These putrefactive processes can negatively affect health.

The cause of lactase deficiency in the vast majority of cases is a genetic predisposition to pathology and it manifests itself even in childhood. But in some cases, the body's synthesis of the lactase enzyme slows down with age. In this case, a diagnosis of acquired deficiency is made.

Some people believe that lactose intolerance and milk allergy are different names one diagnosis. In fact, it's absolutely different states, each of which needs special treatment and can lead to the development of various unpleasant consequences. If a person with lactose intolerance drinks milk, he will at worst get off easy food poisoning. If you are allergic to a drink, everything will be much worse, even the possibility of death is not ruled out.

No need to give up your favorite foods until an accurate diagnosis is made. This should be done by a specialist, after a series of analyzes and studies. Based on the results of the examination, the patient may be prescribed a special diet, the composition of which depends on the intensity of the body's production of the desired enzyme.

The use of lactose in dietetics

Today, few people monitor how much milk and dairy products they consume per day. Nutritionists recommend paying attention to this point if you want to get rid of a number of unpleasant conditions and improve the quality of life. According to experts, the daily norm of lactose and milk for children and adults looks like this:

• Children should drink about 2 glasses of milk per day or replace it with the same amount of dairy products.
• For adults, the first indicator should be increased by 2 times, and the second by one and a half.
• The daily lactose intake is 1/3 daily allowance glucose. If the age requirement for glucose is 150 g, then for lactose it is 50 g.

1. A lack of substance will be indicated by apathy, lethargy, Bad mood, malfunctions of the nervous system.
2. Excess lactose appears as loose stool or constipation, flatulence, bloating, allergies and common features body poisoning.

Modern women and men are increasingly resorting to a diet rich in lactose. It is used to cleanse the body, get rid of extra pounds and strengthen the immune system. , rich in minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, perfectly satisfy hunger. It is noteworthy that lactose does not provoke the release of insulin into the blood, so it cannot cause weight gain. The approach is best used as a mono-diet, then it will give quick and obvious results.

It is worth considering that specialized dairy products that do not contain lactose are not able to provide the same effect. In them, milk sugar is replaced with regular sugar, which provokes weight gain.

Features of selecting products for lactose intolerance

When creating a diet for lactose intolerance, you need to remember the following nuances:

1. It is not necessary to give up milk; it is enough to purchase its adapted analogue, which does not contain milk sugar. The product, contrary to popular belief, is absolutely harmless for adults and children. At the same time, it contains all other substances necessary for the body.
2. Don't give up the most common hard cheeses. They are well tolerated by the body even with a lack of lactase. But in the case of soft cheeses and cottage cheese, you will have to look for specialized products.
3. It is important to remember that the fattier the product, the higher the lactose content. But the longer it ripens, the less milk sugar remains in it.
4. If desired, today you can find cream, yoghurts and other dairy products lactose free. They taste no different from their traditional counterparts, so there is no need to deny yourself your favorite components of your diet.

If you carefully study the properties of lactose, it becomes clear that the body needs it at all stages of its development. You should not think that milk should be drunk only in childhood, during the formation of the skeleton and teeth. For adults, it is no less necessary to stimulate brain activity and a surge of energy. In old age, it is advisable to reduce the volume of consumed products, but you should not give them up completely if there is no indication for this.