Editing Lactose (section)

==Biological properties==
The [[sweetness]] of lactose is 0.2 to 0.4, relative to 1.0 for [[sucrose]].<ref name="Schaafsma2008">{{cite journal |last1=Schaafsma |first1=Gertjan |year=2008 |title=Lactose and lactose derivatives as bioactive ingredients in human nutrition |url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a45b/ce8eb621c78f163ec94f6e2c5add17a624e4.pdf |journal=International Dairy Journal |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=458–465 |doi=10.1016/j.idairyj.2007.11.013 |s2cid=10346203 |issn=0958-6946 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190302135517/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a45b/ce8eb621c78f163ec94f6e2c5add17a624e4.pdf |archive-date=Mar 2, 2019}}</ref> For comparison, the sweetness of glucose is 0.6 to 0.7, of [[fructose]] is 1.3, of galactose is 0.5 to 0.7, of [[maltose]] is 0.4 to 0.5, of [[sorbose]] is 0.4, and of [[xylose]] is 0.6 to 0.7.<ref name="Schaafsma2008" />

When lactose is completely digested in the [[small intestine]], its [[caloric value]] is 4 kcal/g, or the same as that of other [[carbohydrate]]s.<ref name="Schaafsma2008" /> However, lactose is not always fully digested in the small intestine. Depending on ingested dose, combination with meals (either solid or liquid), and lactase activity in the [[intestine]]s, the caloric value of lactose ranges from 2 to 4 kcal/g.<ref name="Schaafsma2008" /> Undigested lactose acts as [[dietary fiber]]. It also has positive effects on absorption of [[mineral]]s, such as [[calcium]] and [[magnesium]].<ref name="Schaafsma2008" />

The [[glycemic index]] of lactose is 46 to 65.<ref name="BjörckLiljeberg2000">{{cite journal |last1=Björck |first1=Inger |last2=Liljeberg |first2=Helena |last3=Östman |first3=Elin |year=2000 |title=Low glycaemic-index foods |journal=British Journal of Nutrition |volume=83 |issue=S1 |pages=S149–S155 |doi=10.1017/S0007114500001094 |issn=0007-1145 |pmid=10889806 |s2cid=14574754 |doi-access=free}}</ref> For comparison, the glycemic index of glucose is 100 to 138, of sucrose is 68 to 92, of maltose is 105, and of fructose is 19 to 27.<ref name="Schaafsma2008" /><ref name="BjörckLiljeberg2000" />

Lactose has relatively low [[cariogenicity]] among sugars.<ref name="MillerJarvis2006">{{cite book|author1=Gregory D. Miller|author2=Judith K. Jarvis|author3=Lois D. McBean|title=Handbook of Dairy Foods and Nutrition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5tleQ0aLJvoC&pg=PA248|date=15 December 2006|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-0431-1|pages=248–}}</ref> This is because it is not a substrate for [[dental plaque]] formation and it is not rapidly [[fermentation|fermented]] by [[mouth|oral]] [[bacteria]].<ref name="MillerJarvis2006" /> The buffering capacity of milk also reduces the cariogenicity of lactose.<ref name="Schaafsma2008" />