Is Lactose-free Milk Real Milk?

Milk naturally contains the sugar lactose, which is broken down by the enzyme lactase in your small bowel. Millions of adults in the U.S. have difficulty digesting milk sugar due to low production of the enzyme lactase. Lactose-free milk is a special type of real milk that contains all the nutrients of regular milk with the exception of the sugar lactose. If you have a lactase deficiency, substituting lactose-free milk for regular milk in your diet allows you to take advantage of the many nutrients milk provides without causing uncomfortable digestive symptoms.

Production of Lactose-Free Milk

Dairies produce lactose-free milk by adding lactase to regular milk during processing. After heating the milk to kill any bacterial contaminants, it is transferred to a holding tank. Lactase, harvested from the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, is added to the tank to break down the lactose in the milk into its component sugars, glucose and galactose. Upon completion of the lactose breakdown period, which can last up to 24 hours, the milk is packaged for sale. The shelf life of lactose-free milk is comparable to that of regular milk.

Is it Really Lactose-Free?

The FDA has not established a standard definition for what constitutes "lactose-free" milk. The agency, however, requires that all food labels be truthful and not misleading to consumers. Because lactose is broken down rather than removed from lactose-free milk, trace amounts of the sugar may be present in the final product. The minute amounts of lactose that may be present, however, are typically not significant enough to cause symptoms if you have lactose intolerance.

Nutrients

Lactose-free varieties of milk provide the same nutrients as regular milk. The nutrients in an 8-oz. glass of nonfat, lactose-free milk include 8.3 g of protein; 12.5 g of sugars; 0.2 g of fat; 5 mg of cholesterol; 300 mg of calcium; 250 mg of phosphorus; 380 mg of potassium; 27 mg of magnesium; 150 micrograms of vitamin A; and 2.9 micrograms of vitamin D. The vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in lactose-free milk help support your bone health.

Considerations

Lactose-free milk costs more than regular milk, which can be a drawback to regular use of this specialty product. Many people buy lactose-free milk for drinking and limit their consumption of lactose in other foods through substitutions. For cooking and baking, you can often substitute plain yogurt for milk. Although it is not lactose-free, yogurt contains less lactose than milk. You may also try soy or rice milk as a substitute for regular milk; these products contain no lactose.