Lactose-free Milk: Producers, Technology, Benefit and Harm

If you often go to supermarkets, you probably noticed bright boxes on which it is written that they contain lactose-free milk. It is often associated with something artificial, different from a natural product, sort of like substituting sugar for a substitute. In fact, this is far from the case, although the need for its use in food is due to the physiological characteristics of man.

If you are completely healthy, then you can safely eat plain or lactose-free milk, for a person with lactose deficiency there is no such choice. Eating ordinary milk will result in severe diarrhea, bloating, and digestion.

Allergy to lactose

In fact, this is a kind of food allergy. The immune system of the body for unknown reasons begins to perceive milk protein as an alien, moreover, hostile to the body. A violent reaction is launched, which from the side is similar to food poisoning. Usually, after 30 minutes after consuming milk (ice cream, cheese, cottage cheese) cramping pains in the abdomen begin to appear, rumbling, increased gas formation. Often this results in nausea or vomiting, severe diarrhea with foamy secretions, and skin rashes. Possible swelling of the larynx and respiratory system.

In this case, it is recommended to completely exclude the ingress of milk protein into the body. For mild manifestations of the disorder, it is sufficient to determine the safe dosage and not exceed it. In severe allergic reactions, both children and adults completely replace milk protein with vegetable analogues (soy milk). And sometimes this reaction extends only to the protein of cow's milk. Try some time to consume goat and look for the body's reaction.

Lactose intolerance

Often these two concepts are confused. Indeed, intolerance and an allergic reaction are somewhat similar, but they have different nature. In the first case, the immune system is not involved, which means that we can not talk about allergies. The cause of problems is the inability of the body to digest milk sugar - a carbohydrate, which is called lactose. If for an adult this is not such a problem, lactose intolerance in children often results in a lag in growth, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, especially it concerns babies.

What happens in the body? Milk enters the stomach, and thence into the intestine. And here the problem begins: lack of digestive enzyme (lactase) does not allow splitting and assimilating milk sugar, and it, in turn, serves as a nutrient medium for putrefactive bacteria and microorganisms. So food intolerance is formed. The main difference from her allergy is that there are no skin rashes and never develops Quincke's edema. It is somewhat easier to solve this problem, because today there is lactose-free milk, which can be consumed instead of usually, which will avoid unpleasant symptoms.

The main symptoms of lactose intolerance

Depending on the individual characteristics, it can be vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bloating or diarrhea. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish it from similar symptoms of food poisoning and allergies. Especially diagnosis is difficult in young children. Be sure to contact your local pediatrician, he will help with the diagnosis and give some recommendations.

If the doctor is not available (if you are on holiday, out of town), then simply cancel the dairy products and observe the reaction. If it became better, then after a day offer the baby lactose-free milk. We'll discuss this in more detail below. If symptoms do not appear within an hour of usual milk, you can breathe freely, this is not an allergy. If in your city there is a workshop for the production of soy products, then safely go to the outlet to buy their milk, sour cream and tofu (cheese). These products contain vegetable, soy protein, are easily digestible and very nutritious.

Lactose-free mixtures for children

Faced with the problem of individual lactose intolerance in a small child, parents often begin to panic. After all, milk and a healthy child are two concepts that merge in our consciousness into a single whole. In fact, everything is not so sad. Cow's milk is originally intended for feeding a newborn calf, and it can not be ideal for a child who has a completely different digestive system. But nevertheless it is a valuable product containing a lot of calcium and phosphorus, which is necessary for children.

The easiest way out is to give the baby lactose-free milk. What is it, you are happy to tell the district pediatrician or sales consultant in the corporate department. All the useful properties of milk in it are preserved. A wide range of such products is represented on the market, from lactose-free mixtures for newborns to milk porridges for younger preschoolers.

The most famous manufacturers of children's de-lactose mixtures are Valio (Finland), Humana (Germany), Hipp (Hungary), Heinz (England), Nestle Holland. For their products, they make high demands, because this is the main food for the youngest. That is why mothers all over the world know and love this product. Pediatricians recommend gradually transferring children to mixtures with a low content of lactose, and then gradually try the usual products. Often with the development of the enzyme (lactase) increases, and digestion completely comes to normal.

What is de-lactose milk?

I must say that it is not much different from cow's. This is natural milk, from which, by complex membrane separation, milk sugar, carbohydrate was removed. If you take into account the technological subtleties, then we can talk about the following: there is a lactose-free product and its twin brother, milk with a low content of milk sugar. Selects what suits you - either by experience, or on the basis of laboratory tests. The second way is faster and preferable.

A lactose-free product is slightly sweeter than conventional milk. This will have to get used to. In other respects, the content of useful substances is absolutely identical, therefore, if you do not have lactose intolerance, then it does not matter which milk to consume.

High-grade food

Often we do not think a table without sour cream, kefir, cottage cheese and cheese. These are the most useful products, which are primarily important for a growing organism. It turns out that children with lactose intolerance are deprived of the opportunity to eat right? No, today import manufacturers have taken care of that on counters there were all necessary products without lactose.

This is primarily milk, kefir, cottage cheese and cheese. An additional ruler is yoghurts, curd mass or creams, as well as butter, which can be added to cereals. The shelf life depends on the product and packaging, for example, milk in soft packaging is stored for 8 days, and in a tetrapack several months.

If you live in a small city, and therefore in supermarkets there is no such abundance, then you can use the home method. Purchased lactose-free milk is easy to ferment with the help of "Linex" or "Bifidumbacterin" capsules to get the perfect curd. Fouling it through the cheesecloth, you can cook the cottage cheese, and if boil and then hang in the gauze, you will enjoy home-made cheese. There are quick ways to get cottage cheese: for this, heat the milk and pour into it a capsule of calcium chloride. Get a special cottage cheese, enriched with an important mineral. So you can diversify the diet of your baby, even if he suffers from serious lactose intolerance.

Valio products

This manufacturer is known all over Russia. He very much helps many mothers. According to statistics, today about 15% of babies suffer from intolerance to lactose. Sometimes it goes away with age, but sometimes it does not. What is the de-lactose milk, we learned thanks to Valio. Our domestic companies are only going to launch such a production, but for many it is an impossible task, as it requires serious investments that will not soon pay off.

For the first time the Finnish company launched the production line in 2001. On the shelves of the northern country appeared products completely purified from lactose and with reduced fat content. This was really important, as local people see little sun, and therefore suffer from a lack of vitamin D. It is best absorbed with calcium, so dairy products are vital.

If in the first years of the company's operation lactose in milk still remained, albeit in small quantities, today a new production line allows to completely avoid this. Due to the imperfect filtration system, the product had a sweetish taste. One liked it, the other not very much. But the manufacturers were looking for an opportunity to achieve an ideal quality that would suit everyone. They succeeded. Now lactose-free milk Valio can not be distinguished from the taste of ordinary store.

If abroad is already a familiar product, the domestic consumer is just beginning to get acquainted with products that do not contain lactose. At the same time, the volumes of its implementation exceed all planned. This indicates that the Russians appreciated the high quality of Valio's dairy products. There is demand in the market, which means that domestic production with competitive prices for finished products is necessary.

Manufacturers of lactose-free milk

Almost the only flawless supplier to the Russian market today is the company Valio. Lactose-free milk of this brand meets all standards and is recognized as the best in its segment. There are a number of firms that tried to replicate this feat, but the lack of funds for the purchase of expensive equipment and debugging technology led to the fact that the production of only low-lactose milk started. The easiest way was chosen, the digestive enzyme (lactase) was added to the milk, this led to a partial disintegration of lactose into glucose and galactose. That's why the consumer felt an unnatural, sweet taste. Such a product is not safe for people with severe signs and symptoms of intolerance.

There are a number of studies comparing lactose-free products of various firms. Only in milk Valio content of milk sugar is 0.01%. Many low-lactose brands showed a content of 4.8%, which is almost equal to the level of lactose in whole milk.

In the light of political events, sanctions and retaliatory measures on the domestic market, lactose-free milk has ceased to flow. Manufacturers have lost huge potential for growth and development, and many parents are an indispensable product for their children. It remains to use lactose-free infant formulas, soy and goat's milk. Today Belarus launched the production of this important product under the brand name "Savushkin Product".

Production technology

While in Russia there is no company that could buy or create its own technology. The company Valio keeps professional secrets in strict secrecy. Even journalists admitted to their production do not have the right to photograph production halls.

The production of the lactose-free product requires the presence of high-tech equipment, special technology and multimillion-dollar investments. In this case, the development of a new product can take several years. The world-famous company Valio took 15 years to develop. Only after that they were able to patent and market their milk and other products. They can be consumed by a person with an extreme degree of intolerance to lactose, while the taste is no different from ordinary dairy products.

To start your own production, you do not need to reinvent the wheel, the license to use Valio technology is sold around the world. It has already been successfully used in Norway, the United States and France. Domestic manufacturers are interested in new opportunities, but they fear that due to large financial investments the price of finished products will be unattractive for the consumer.

Lactose-free milk: benefit and harm

For a healthy person, milk is a valuable product, a source of minerals, vitamins, amino acids. With lactose deficiency, a person experiences discomfort, but this is not a problem of milk, but of the characteristics of his body. It is for such people that this is a lactose-free milk. It contains the same set of nutrients, but does not lead to unpleasant reactions from the gastrointestinal tract.

If lactose-free milk is not overdue, all sanitary and hygienic standards are observed, then it can not harm the body. In addition, do not dwell on the fresh product, because the market has many of its derivatives. In sour-milk products, the amount of lactose decreases naturally, as bacteria break down milk sugar (carbohydrate) during fermentation. If the side effects of using dairy products are not too pronounced, you can eat a little skim cottage cheese and yogurt. Quantity is set experimentally, for someone it is 400 grams of cottage cheese per day, and another will be a maximum of 100 g.

There is another option that will allow you to diversify your table without harm to health. The gastroenterologist can prescribe special preparations containing digestive enzymes (lactase). Due to such compensation of enzymes, digestion will be normalized when using regular milk. This is not a cure, as soon as you stop taking medication, digestion will return to its original state, since the body does not produce enough of this enzyme itself. But it can be justified way to organize a full-fledged feeding to the child. In a more mature age, you can get the necessary substances from substitute products.

Secrets of a beautiful figure: is it better to choose natural or lactose-free milk?

All women tend to look beautiful and often sit on different diets. The most effective are protein days of unloading. The body spends a tremendous amount of energy for digesting such foods, in addition, the protein is consumed daily for internal needs. To compensate for the costs, you will have to use the fat reserves, which you need to get to.

In foreign countries, everyone who wants to lose weight has long been using lactose-free dairy products. The difference between them and the usual milk, kefir and cottage cheese is quite noticeable. This is about the same as on a diet to drink tea with sugar or without it. The difference is due to the presence or absence of lactose. This carbohydrate, milk sugar, which is split into glucose and galactose and causes a rapid release of sugar into the blood, after which we quickly enough to feel hunger again.

In the production of lactose-free milk, all lactose is removed from it, and only useful substances remain. At the same time, the number of calories is reduced by 20%, and carbohydrates by 35%. Accordingly, the effect of your diet will be a third higher, but this does not have to reduce the diet or expose yourself to additional, power loads. According to statistics, with the usual curd diet, it is possible to lose 5 kg per week, and when using a de-lactose fat-free product - 7 kilograms or more.

How accessible is the product to the customer?

If the inhabitants of megacities already know everything about the newfangled milk, cheese, cottage cheese and butter, then for small towns and rural districts, the question of where to buy de-lactose milk is quite relevant. If someone from the family often goes on business trips, you can order him to bring a box of tetra-packets. Even at room temperature, such a product can be stored for a very long time. Option two - daily ask lactose-free milk in a nearby store. In the end, sellers will find an opportunity to purchase goods that are in demand.

Let's sum up the results

We can say that lactose-free products are an opportunity for many people to return to a normal healthy diet. Since ancient times, milk and its derivatives have been considered a source of strength and health, not even talking about how delicious they are and how many of them can be cooked. What should I give my child for breakfast? Of course, milk porridge, and for a mid-morning snack a sandwich with cheese and butter. The modern food industry makes this a reality, even if the baby has lactose intolerance.