Lactose, or milk sugar, is a disaccharide composed of galactose and glucose and has the molecular formula C 12 H 22 O 11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from lact (gen. lactis), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix -ose used to name sugars.

Mar 5, 2022 · People with lactose intolerance are unable to fully digest the sugar (lactose) in milk. As a result, they have diarrhea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. The condition, which is also called lactose malabsorption, is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable.

Oct 18, 2024 · Lactose is a natural sugar that's found in milk. It is a carbohydrate. Structurally, it is a disaccharide— a sugar molecule that’s composed of two simple sugars: glucose and galactose. Lactose is an important source of energy for babies, and it is also commonly used in food processing and pharmaceutical drug manufacturing.

Oct 29, 2024 · Lactose is a natural, complex sugar produced in all mammalian milk that’s difficult to breakdown unless you have lactase, a protein, in your small bowel.

Sep 16, 2024 · Lactose is a sugar naturally found in dairy products like milk, butter, yogurt, and more. Learn which 5 foods to avoid for lactose intolerance.

Feb 22, 2024 · Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk and dairy products. Read on to know if you are intolerant or not.

Mar 3, 2023 · Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. It causes digestive symptoms, but isn’t dangerous.

Lactose intolerance is a condition in which you have digestive symptoms—such as bloating, diarrhea, and gas—after you consume foods or drinks that contain lactose. Lactose is a sugar that is naturally found in milk and milk products, like cheese or ice cream. In lactose intolerance, digestive symptoms are caused by lactose malabsorption.

Lactose is the principal sugar of mammal milk, with a few exceptions (e.g., sea lions and walruses), and is the source of nourishment for newborns . After weaning, mammals are not capable of digesting milk, and humans are the only species that continue to consume and digest milk daily, thanks to a phenomenon of gene–culture coevolution .

Apr 5, 2025 · Lactose, carbohydrate containing one molecule of glucose and one of galactose linked together. Composing about 2 to 8 percent of the milk of all mammals, lactose is sometimes called milk sugar. It is the only common sugar of animal origin.