Discover the 12 Benefits of lactose free milk and side effects.
Lactose -free milk is intended only for those people who cannot drink normal milk. Today it is not uncommon to find individuals who are intolerant to lactose, a nutrient found in animal milk. That is why it is increasingly common to find lactose-free milk in supermarkets.
So if you are one of the people who suffer from this intolerance, you must eliminate it from your diet, it is better than consuming lactose-free milk, dairy preparations, and products made without this sugar.
Lactose is a sugar present in all milk of animal origin, including human milk. Depending on its precedence, the content of this sugar varies since it is still present unless it has been removed after a chemical process and this is properly stated on the label.
That is why drinking lactose-free milk has several benefits, especially for those with intolerance to other milk, since it is not a nutrient intended for humans.
People with lactose intolerance do not produce enough of an enzyme to digest milk sugar, so drinking milk causes discomfort. Lactose-free milk can be consumed by people with lactose intolerance and has all the nutritional benefits of regular milk, including plenty of calcium and vitamin D.
Lactose intolerance
People with lactose intolerance cannot produce enough of an enzyme called lactase, which is needed to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. Drinking milk or other dairy products causes bloating, gas, and diarrhea in people with this condition.
Symptoms usually occur 30 minutes to two hours after consuming milk. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, lactose intolerance is not dangerous, but people may need to stop consuming regular milk to avoid lactose. Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Lactose free milk
Lactose-free milk is produced by adding lactase to regular milk during processing. Lactase breaks down lactose so it can be consumed by people who are lactose intolerant.
Otherwise, you will need to take lactase tablets if you want to drink regular milk. Lactose-free milk is not suitable for a milk allergy diet because it still contains the proteins that trigger an allergic response.
Properties of lactose-free milk
A.- Minerals
Within the nutritional properties of lactose-free milk, we can mention that it is rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc, among others.
In this case, the milk loses the lactose, however, it continues to maintain the main nutrients of normal milk for the benefit of your health in general.
B.- Vitamins
Lactose-free milk has been considered a food that is mainly rich in vitamin C, as well as vitamin E.
It also has B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, so now you know, that if you want to pamper yourself, drink lactose-free milk. , which in addition to being beneficial gives you a good state of health.
C.- Carbohydrates
When lactose is removed from milk, which is one of the sugars that this food has, it is replaced by lactase.
Differences between lactose-free and normal milk
Regular milk contains the milk sugar lactose, while lactose-free milk does not.
Lactase, an enzyme produced by your stomach, breaks down the milk sugar galactose so you can absorb it.
People who have lactose intolerance, a deficiency of lactase, have gastrointestinal symptoms when they consume dairy products that contain lactose.
Commercial milk producers add lactase to lactose-free milk so you can drink it without experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms.
Lactase makes milk taste sweeter.
To make the lactase enzyme inactive, manufacturers ultra-pasteurize the milk, which can change the consistency and flavor.
Ultra pasteurization also extends shelf life.
Lactose-free milk tastes sweeter than regular milk because the milk sugar lactase breaks down into two simple sugars, galactose, and glucose.
Simple sugars taste sweeter on the tongue than complex sugars.
A Kansas State University study published in the June 2009 issue of LWT Food Science and Technology on the characteristics of lactose-free milk reported that the sweeter, highly processed, and cooked taste of lactose-free milk could be a deterrent to consumer interest in the product.
Longer duration
Ultra-pasteurized milk has a longer shelf life than regular milk, lasting up to 60 days compared to seven to 16 days for regular milk, according to Strauss Family Creamery.
This is a benefit to the manufacturer because lactose-free milk does not rotate as quickly on store shelves, as there is not as high a demand as there is for regular milk.
Producers heat milk to at least 280 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two seconds.
Regular pasteurized milk is heated to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 19 seconds and then immediately cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
lactose-free milk
Some drinks that are advertised as lactose-free milk do not contain cow’s milk.
Instead, manufacturers use soybeans, rice, almonds, or other foods to produce a liquid they call milk.
This type of lactose-free milk does not have the same benefits as cow’s milk, such as the high calcium content.
In some cases, manufacturers add vitamin D and calcium to this type of milk to produce a beverage similar in nutrition to milk but without the risk of lactose.
12 Health Benefits of Lactose-Free Milk
Drinking lactose-free milk can prevent the symptoms of lactose intolerance if you are one of the estimated 30 million people with lactose intolerance, according to specialized sources.
The most common symptoms include abdominal discomfort, such as nausea, diarrhea, gas, and bloating, beginning 30 minutes to two hours after ingesting lactose. The incidence of lactose intolerance increases as you age; it occurs most often in people of African American, Asian, Mediterranean, or Native American descent.
Some people can tolerate a small amount of lactose in their diet, while others cannot. Lactose intolerance does not cause serious illness or have long-term health effects. Avoiding lactose or taking lactose without a prescription when eating dairy products is the only necessary treatment.
1.- Relieves colic
Milk contains many nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, that are essential to your health.
However, according to one specialist, dairy products are the most common cause of colic, and cow’s milk could cause distress to your nursing baby.
Drinking lactose-free milk can reduce your baby’s chances of colic.
However, it still provides the important nutrients your body needs for good health.
2.- It is more digestible
You can drink lactose-free milk to get the nutrients in milk if you suffer from lactose intolerance, a condition that causes bloating and other side effects due to incomplete lactose indigestion.
If you have conditions that impair lactation production, such as Crohn’s disease, you’ll also benefit from lactose-free milk.
Milk does not fill the intestines with excess fluid or gas, which are common symptoms of people who cannot digest lactose.
Lactose-free milk also relieves diarrhea and bloating caused by incomplete digestion of lactose.
3.- Nutritional benefits
Like lactose-packaged milk, lactose-free milk contains a host of nutrients that are important to the different biological processes in your body.
Vitamins and minerals, primarily calcium, not only support the development of strong bones and teeth, but also muscle building and cell activity.
If you don’t want to breastfeed your baby because you are concerned that your baby may develop colic, then drinking lactose-free milk is a solution that will provide you and your child with the minerals needed for growth.
4.- Source of Calcium and Vitamin D
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, avoiding milk can lead to deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D.
Lactose-free milk allows lactose-intolerant people to get the calcium and vitamin D they need.
Calcium is stored in your bones, which keeps them strong, but your body also needs it for normal blood clotting, nervous system function, and muscle contraction.
Vitamin D is necessary for your body to absorb and use calcium, so it’s also essential for strong bones and teeth.
Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun, but it’s often added to milk.
5.- Provides Riboflavin and Protein
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, avoiding milk can also lead to a shortage of riboflavin and protein.
Riboflavin is a B-complex vitamin, also known as vitamin B-2, that your body needs to make energy from the food you eat.
Protein is necessary to build and maintain organs and tissues, and for the normal function of the immune system.
Drinking lactose-free milk helps ensure that lactose-intolerant people get enough of these nutrients.
6.- Gastrointestinal relief
About 30 million people in the United States have some degree of lactose intolerance by age 20, according to the National Institutes of Health.
If you’re one of them, eliminating lactose from your diet can relieve uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, foul-smelling stools, and nausea.
Lactose intolerance is the result of low levels of an enzyme called lactase in the small intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic.
When your lactase levels are low, most of the lactose you eat enters your colon unprocessed.
There, your normal gut bacteria interact with the lactose and cause your GI symptoms.
7.- Improved nutrition
Cutting lactose from your diet can improve your absorption of nutrients from other foods if you have an intolerance, according to the NIH.
Malnutrition, slow growth, and weight loss are sometimes experienced by people who are lactose intolerant.
Lactose intolerance is more common among Africans, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and Mediterranean people than among people of European descent from Northern and Western Europe.
It can arise at different times in life and can even start in childhood. For example, in African-Americans, this intolerance often begins as early as age 2. In Caucasians, it can affect children older than 5 years, according to NIH. In rare cases, babies are born with lactose intolerance, according to the Mayo Clinic.
8.- Vegan health benefits
Avoiding lactose helps you follow a vegan diet.
Some people switch to this plant-based diet for ethical reasons, but a growing number of people are turning to it for its health benefits.
Plant-based diets are extremely effective in managing and preventing diabetes.
The vegan diet also has benefits for cancer prevention, heart health, and weight loss.
A vegan diet, while it sounds strict, is really easy to follow because you don’t have to measure portions, count calories, or limit carbohydrates.
9.- Autism diet
Cutting lactose from your diet helps you follow the gluten- and casein-free diet favored by many parents of children with autism.
Casein is the protein in milk, but eliminating dairy removes both protein and sugar from your diet.
Searching for foods with ingredients that include “last” makes it easier to exclude dairy products.
People with autism are often intolerant to dairy and gluten.
Although official scientific evidence does not support gluten- and casein-free diet for improving autism symptoms, many parents report immediate improvement when weaning their children off these substances.
10.- Effects on children
Giving children lactose-free milk means that they will not have lactose present in their stomachs.
Lactose stimulates the body to produce lactase, and without lactose in their diets, children could lose the ability to produce lactase.
11.- Economic effects
There is an economic component to choosing lactose-free milk.
It is usually more expensive than regular milk because it is a special product.
12.- Difference in taste
Some consumers say that lactose-free milk tastes sweeter than regular milk, even though no sugar is added in processing.
Others say that the milk tastes more like butter.
Other additional benefits of consuming lactose-free milk are:
Reduces or eliminates the symptoms of those who suffer from lactose intolerance.
If the symptoms are generated by the consumption of milk, it reduces or eliminates the symptoms of irritable bowel.
It maintains a balanced intake of calcium and other important nutrients in the body of those who suffer from milk sugar intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, and the elderly.
It is also presented in varieties according to the needs of each person: whole, skimmed, and semi-skimmed.
It can be used without problems to cook all the recipes that require traditional milk and can be consumed by those who suffer from digestive intolerance problems to dairy products.
Helps reduce weight, a benefit of lactose-free milk. This is because the properties of this food keep the fats that help lose weight intact, while there is very little presence of these fats in it.
Lactose-free milk helps strengthen bones. As you well know, phosphorus and vitamin C are very good allies for your bones. That is why it becomes an important drink for children, as it also favors their growth.
Tips
Despite lacking lactose, lactose-free milk contains all the other nutrients like milk that has lactose.
If you develop allergies after drinking milk, stop drinking it.
Do not drink this milk if you have an allergy to proteins in milk, as it will only cause a reaction.
Lactose-free milk contains the same proteins as regular milk.
Side effects of lactose free milk
People who are lactose intolerant often switch to lactose-free milk.
Although lactose-free milk and regular milk have the same nutritional values, choosing to go lactose-free can have consequences, particularly for children.
People who are allergic to milk, rather than lactose intolerant, should not drink lactose-free milk, as it still contains casein or whey, the milk proteins that cause allergies
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