Lactose is a carbohydrate, which is catalysed by the enzymes lactase. Which tests would you carry out to find out if lactose is present in a food sample.
Answers
Answer:
Types of Tests
There are three kinds of tests that can be used to check lactose intolerance:
Hydrogen Breath Test
This test is the most common. During this test, your doctor will instruct you to drink a liquid solution containing lactose, and will then have you breathe into a balloon-like instrument at set intervals to determine how much hydrogen there is in your breath. The more hydrogen you exhale, the more likely it is that your body is unable to process lactose.
Lactose Tolerance Test
Like the hydrogen breath test, this test also requires you to drink a liquid with lactose. After two hours, your doctor will take a blood sample to measure how much glucose is in your blood. If your blood glucose level does not rise, this means that your body is not digesting or absorbing lactose.
Stool Acidity Test
This test is usually performed on infants or small children, as they are not eligible for other tests. A physician will take a stool sample to see if lactose is breaking down properly in your system. Fermenting lactose in the intestines (a sign of lactose intolerance) creates lactic acid, which can be detected in stool.
These tests may be performed in your physician’s office or in an outpatient laboratory.