Lactose
Lactose (or milk sugar) is naturally present in milk. What is the effect of milk sugar on your health, and can you lump all sugar types together? Or are there differences? We have taken a closer look for you.
What is lactose?
The sugar naturally occurring in milk is called lactose. We find this milk sugar in cow’s milk, goat’s milk and in breast milk. When you drink milk the lactose is broken down in your intestine, by the enzyme lactase, into two separate sugars: glucose and galactose. These sugars give you energy, but can also serve as building blocks for complex molecules in your body.
The difference between lactose and added sugar
Lactose is a sugar, but it is naturally present in milk, not added to sweeten the product. What is more, lactose has almost no sweet taste. It is certainly not the same as sugar that is added to foods (such as sucrose and honey). These added sugars make a product sweeter and add unnecessary calories. It also seems that lactose does not have the same effect on our teeth and our blood sugar level.
Evolutionary advantage
All new-born children are dependent on milk. They can digest this milk easily and use the nutrients to grow. However, in ancient times, our digestion changed and production of the enzyme lactase ended after children started consuming more foods than just milk.
More people can digest milk
Around 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, some people in European, African and Asian countries were able to digest milk even after childhood. This arose due to an adaptation of the gene responsible for producing this enzyme lactase. This genetic change provided an evolutionary advantage because milk suddenly became a source of important nutrients. Over the centuries, the number of people able to digest milk has grown from a few individuals to a third of the global population!
Lactose intolerance
If someone cannot break down (enough) lactose, this can lead to lactose intolerance. Lactose-intolerant people can, however, drink lactose-free milk, in which the lactose has been filtered out and/or split up into the separate sugars. Gouda and Edam cheeses are also virtually lactose-free. So there are still tasty dairy products for people who are less able to tolerate lactose.
