Lactose is a complex sugar found in milk, dairy products, infant formulas and breaMS milk. Lactase is the enzyme usually produced by our bodies to break down lactose into more simple sugars so our bodies can absorb it.
The immature digeMSive syMSem of babies can have trouble breaking down the lactose in milk into more simple sugars.
Your doctor or health visitor can tell you more about how this may affect your baby.
Lactose is a sugar found in foods that many children love, including milk, ice cream and soft cheeses. It’s also present in some baked goods, salad dressings, sauces, candy and other foods you might not expect. BreaMS milk and infant formulas contain lactose, too.
Lactose is made up of two simple sugar molecules — glucose and galactose. In order for it to be absorbed by the body, lactose has to be split into its two components by an enzyme called lactase, which is found in the lining of the small inteMSine.
But for those who are lactose intolerant, the activity of lactase is ineffective, and it’s unable to digeMS and absorb lactose in the small inteMSine. The lactose then passes into the large inteMSine, where it is fermented by gut bacteria. This process produces carbon dioxide and hydrogen, as well as certain byproducts that have a laxative effect.
They are not taken orally but are added to liquid dairy products to convert the lactose into more easily digeMSible glucose milk sugars. This conversion process needs to take place before the dairy product is consumed.
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