If you're lactose intolerant, you might occasionally drink a lactose-free milk, such as Lactaid, to enjoy dairy without uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects. Despite the fact that it tastes sweeter than regular milk, Lactaid is enzymatically-modified milk; it doesn't contain any added sugar or other sweeteners including fructose, sucrose, and sorbitol.
Lactose Intolerance
While Lactaid milk isn't something you'd likely buy under normal circumstances, it's useful for individuals with lactose intolerance as it's one option that allows them to drink milk. Lactose intolerance results from producing too little of the enzyme, lactase, which allows you to digest lactose, or milk sugar. If you're lactose intolerant, you experience painful gastrointestinal symptoms, including bloating and cramping, when you drink milk. You can take supplemental lactase enzymes to prevent symptoms, or use milks like Lactaid, which are lactose-free.
Lactaid
Lactaid is an enzyme-processed milk meant to be an appropriate dairy solution for those with lactose intolerance. According to the Lactaid.com website, lowfat Lactaid contains low-fat milk, lactase enzyme, and vitamins A and D. The only difference between this and regular low-fat milk is the presence of the lactase enzyme, which modifies the sugars in the Lactaid milk. There are also whole milk and skim milk versions of Lactaid, which similarly resemble their non-Lactaid counterparts except for the lactase enzyme.
Lactase
Lactase enzyme is a digestive enzyme that most people have in the small intestine. The enzyme helps break down lactose, or milk sugar, which you take in any time you drink dairy or eat dairy products. Enzymes are chemicals that help reactions take place faster than they otherwise would. They're very reaction-specific, so no digestive enzyme other than lactase can help you digest lactose.
Sweetness
Even though Lactaid doesn't contain any sweeteners, it does taste sweeter than regular milk due to the products produced by the reaction of the lactase enzyme with lactose. When the enzyme reacts with the sugar, it generates two smaller sugars called glucose and galactose. These taste sweeter to humans than lactose. As such, even though the milk has had no sugar added and contains the same number of calories, it tastes as though it's been sweetened.
References
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
- Lactaid.com: Lactaid Milk
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