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A large portion of the world's population has lactose intolerance. Fundamentally, this condition occurs when the small intestine does not produce enough of the lactase enzyme, which digests the disaccharide lactose in milk. Lactose avoiders might unconsciously decide to limit or exclude milk and dairy products from their diets. This group includes people with lactose intolerance, people with an allergy to milk protein, vegans, and those expressing personal preferences. Lactose avoiders are often self-reported as being milk intolerant. In this review, specific amounts of lactose in different types of milk and milk products are presented. The amounts of micro- and macronutrients in them are compared with the daily requirements established by accepted sources. Foods are suggested that can play vital roles in permanently avoiding lactose-containing dairy products, for example, brussels sprouts, as a good source of vitamin B1; kale, as a source of vitamin K; and cereals at breakfast for vitamin B6. Attention is paid to mature cheeses as they are extremely beneficial for health due to their rich vitamin and elemental compositions, and they are also suitable for people with lactose intolerance due to their low lactose content. This information is rarely provided on packaging. In addition, the current state of labeling for the presence of lactose in food and pharmaceutical products is discussed. The term "hidden lactose" is introduced to include added lactose in unexpected foods, drinks, and even medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactose is an important component of mammalian milk. It is a disaccharide also called "milk sugar". In healthy individuals, lactose enters the intestinal lumen and is being hydrolyzed to glucose and galactose by the enzyme lactase. There are people with reduced lactase activity and the disaccharide is hydrolyzed by the microorganisms in their gut. This leads to lactose malabsorption which leads to symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, gas, and abdominal pain. The condition is called lactose intolerance. Those people with less or no amount of the enzyme lactase are forced to avoid lactose-containing foods or pre-process them in order to hydrolyze the milk sugar before consuming the product. This paper presents a method by which anyone could get lactose-free milk at home. The so-called "enzyme bag" resembles a tea bag that is dunked into a glass of milk. It uses the biodegradable, biocompatible, and non-toxic polysaccharide - chitosan as an inert and harmless carrier, and the immobilized enzyme beta-galactosidase. The process does not require special equipment - is performed at room temperature and is fast, easy, and convenient. The future application of this method allows a few tools and a few easy steps to solve the problem of a large number of people with lactose intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]