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What carbohydrates are in milk?

Answer
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Hint: Milk is a food source produced by the mammary glands of animals. It is a nutrient rich source of food. Milk acts as the primary food source for young mammals.

Complete answer:
Infants utilize milk as a food source before they are able to digest solid food matter. Colostrum of the milk contains antibodies that help in the strengthening of the immune system which in turn helps in the reduction of infection. The major carbohydrate present in milk is called Lactose.
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar. Lactose consists of two subunits, Glucose and Galactose. The molecular formula of lactose is C12H22O11. Around 3-8% of milk by weight is made by lactose. Lactose is a white colored, water soluble compound. Lactose is a non-hygroscopic solid and is mildly sweet in taste. Lactose is majorly used in the food industry.
Infant mammals feed on milk that is rich in lactose. This lactose is digested by the enzyme lactase which is secreted by the intestinal villi. The lactose molecule is broken down into its two subunits, Glucose and Galactose by the enzyme lactase. These simple sugars are then absorbed by the body for nutrition. The sweetness of lactose is 0.2-0.4 whereas the sweetness of sucrose is a 1.0. The relative sweetness of glucose is 0.6.

Note:
Production of the enzyme lactase decreases with age as the consumption of milk reduces. This reduction in the production of lactase results in the development of Lactose intolerance by the body. The body cannot digest lactose due to a lac of lactase which leads to diarrhea.
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