Vegan lactose?

[luizedu]

Hi,

Is there any sort of vegan source of lactose, synthetic or plant-based?

[Blueberries]

I don't think so, why, what do you need it for?

[luizedu]

My last account was not approved. I had everything explained in my previous post, but for some reason it was deleted.

I'm looking for lactose in order to grow kefir. (More info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir) My online research and my own previous experience with it indicate that it can indeed heal many health problems, in my case, acne. It comes in two forms: Milk and Water. Both eat any kind of sugar, but each is specialized in one; lactose and fructose. While milk kefir does ferment and live on vegetable sugars and milks, it cannot grow without lactose.

[Lentils]

Donated human breast milk?

[CoolCat]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir#Milk_types

Milk sugar is not essential for the synthesis of the polysaccharide that makes up the grains (kefiran), and studies have shown that rice hydrolysate is a suitable alternative medium. Additionally, it has been shown that kefir grains will reproduce when fermenting soy milk, although they will change in appearance and size due to the differing proteins available to them.

[luizedu]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir#Milk_types

Thank you for your contribution. That's what I'm gonna try if I don't find vegan lactose (which is the most likely). But the problem is that sources often contradict each other, some say milk kefir will grow without lactose, some say it will not, and some say it will slowly become a water kefir - strains that depend on lactose die while others thrive, thus changing the culture as a whole.

[Blueberries]

I've definitely heard of soya kefir, I know nothing about it besides that it's available/do-able

[Gattona]

It must be available as lactose is quite frequenty in jars of olives that are labelled vegan.

[CoolCat]

It must be available as lactose is quite frequenty in jars of olives that are labelled vegan.

That is lactic acid, made from bacteria. Not lactose which is the sugar in milk from mammals. Lactic acid has nothing to do with milk really but was first discovered/extracted from milk back in 1780 so you can't blame them for the poor naming, they didn't knew better.

If you find lactose (which I never have) in preserved olives some other ingredient must be added. Maybe they are olives stuffed with goats cheese or other weird thing I choose to stay away from.

[Gattona]

Ah yes, silly me. I'm not thinking too straight tonight. Please ignore any more posts from me