Oral intake of glucose plus galactose and erythrocyte galactose-1-phosphate. A nutritional evaluation of hydrolyzed lactose.

This study deals with the metabolic effects of hydrolyzed lactose: After an overnight fast 5 healthy adult volunteers consumed a glucose-galactose mixture equivalent to 61.4 g of lactose (or 125 g of a dried skim milk powder with hydrolyzed lactose). The postprandial rise of erythrocyte galactose-1-phosphate (gal-1-P) never exceeded 22.3 mumol per liter packed red blood cells. This amounts to no more than 22% of the levels known from galactosemic children to be safe, concerning ocular, neural or hepatic damage. We conclude that the consumption of the hydrolyzed lactose does not cause a risk for consumer's health as judged from this galactose metabolite. A considerably higher risk, however, may accompany the consumption of galactose alone which causes around 17-fold higher plasma galactose levels and around 8-fold higher erythrocyte gal-1-P concentrations for more extended time periods.