Uses of Galactose

• Galactose is a simple sugar that is essential for the body’s metabolism and the delivery of energy. 
• It is crucial during the early stages of human development. 
• Galactose is beneficial for the digestive system, as it maintains healthy levels of intestinal bacteria. This improves food digestion and also strengthens the body’s resistance to infections. 
• It is used in clinical trials to study the treatment and diagnosis of Hepatitis C, Hepatic Cancer, Wilson’s Disease, Diabetic Macular Oedema, and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, among others. 
• It is also largely employed as a pathway to generate glucose fuel for the human body. 
• It is also used as a component in some commonly used vaccines and non-prescription products.

Galactose is a monosaccharide sugar whose chemical or molecular formula is C₆H₁₂O₆. This is a six-carbon sugar, which is an odourless white solid that has a sweet flavour. It is a reducing sugar and has a molar mass of 180.156 g/mol. It is water-soluble and slightly soluble in ethanol. A disaccharide called lactose is formed when galactose (a monosaccharide) combines with glucose (a monosaccharide) through the condensation reaction. Galactose is similar to glucose in its structure but differs only in the position of the hydroxyl group at carbon-4. This is about as sweet as glucose and about 65% as sweet as sucrose. Galactose is an aldohexose and a C-4 epimer of glucose. It is sometimes abbreviated as “Gal” and also referred to as brain sugar.

Galactose is one of mammals’ three most significant blood sugars, along with glucose and fructose. The main dietary source of galactose is lactose, which is found in milk and dairy products. Galactose is a simple sugar that can be found in dairy products, avocados, sugar beets, other gums, and mucilage. It is a nutrient that provides energy and is also a necessary basic substrate for the production of numerous macromolecules in the body. It is also synthesized by the body from glucose. It can bind to lipids to form glycolipids and proteins to form glycoproteins. It is good for the immune and digestive systems.