- Kluyveromyces lactis
- Kluyveromyces fragilis
- Aspergillus oryzae
- Aspergillus niger
However, the FDA or the United Stated Food and Drug Aministration haven’t formally agreed to the efficiency of these yeasts and fungi.
Lactase is found in the bowel lining and it can degrade lactose, traditionally known as milk. When somebody doesn’t have in their body enough lactase, the system fails to digest the milk or lactose found in most dairy products. As an alternative, lactose becomes a bacterium; soon after people start having abdominal pains, bloating, gas and occasionally diarrhea. The condition is known as lactose intolerance and might also include non-seasonal asthma, irritable bowel syndrome or IBS and migraines. The condition has proven to be detrimental for at least 1 of 10 individuals in the US. In the United States over 40 million people are known to have lactose intolerance.
The good news is that the condition can be easily treated. Although there are no treatments to make the body generate lactase, there are measures to control the consumption of dairy products through a diet.
- Medical benefits
Lactase has proven its benefits in numerous research studies carried out over the last years. Scientists have shown that lactose intolerance is triggered by lactase deficiency. This is normally triggered by the natural affinity of the body to reject breast milk at a certain age. As infants, human beings are well adapted to receive and digest breast milk, since it provides almost 40% of the total number of calories. After the milk is slowly replaced with other types of food, the body may experience changes and reject dairy products.
This is a hereditary condition that doesn’t appear in Europeans, some Middle Eastern, African and Southern Asian groups. However, the rest of the Earth’s population might be confronting with this issue. The lactase persistence genotype data cannot yet explain why it is more present in those specific areas, and scientists suggest that further studies should provide the wanted answers.
Many researchers state that taking lactase drops or pills replaces the natural enzymes that are supposed to be present within the system to ease digestion of milk, yogurts and cheese. It also allows the organism to benefit from their nutritive effects.
Lactase role in babies with colic symptoms was widely researched as well. In Ireland, Prof. Kearney from the acclaimed Cork University Hospital carried out some tests to prove that lactase is efficient in reducing infant colic. The results were officially recognized in 1998. A placebo-controlled, double-blind research study proved that giving lactase to babies before feeding reduces crying time with 45% or more. The additional lactase supplements worked perfectly even with breast milk therefore it allowed women to continue breast feeding.
The research study additionally showed that the use of artificial lactase did not inhibit natural making of the enzyme, so the baby would get over his colic naturally. All babies were tested to see if they were unable to digest lactose by testing breath hydrogen. To sum up, the analysis demonstrated that the intake of lactase before breastfeed would break down lactose in milk, resulting in the decrease of 45 % in crying time.