Lactose (Saccharum lactis)

Other names: Lactose

Harm score: 2 (Derivatives of natural substances)

Lactose, or saccharum lactis, is a natural sugar found in dairy products. This disaccharide consists of glucose and galactose molecules. It is unique in that it occurs naturally only in mammalian milk. Lactose is important in newborns, where it serves as an important component of energy absorption through its fermentation in the colon. Because of its sweetening properties, lactose is often used in the food industry.

Products containing lactose include milk and dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese and ice cream. It can also be found in ready-made soups, vegetable fat products, baked goods, dried tea and coffee, chocolate and many other foods. In the food industry, lactose is used to improve the texture and stability of foods such as ice cream. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is a very popular ingredient in the manufacture of medicines, where it serves as a tablet filler. The sweet taste of lactose also helps to mask the unpleasant taste of some medicines. It should be noted that some people are lactose intolerant, for whom the consumption of lactose is inappropriate. Fortunately, there are now alternatives available for almost all dairy products.