Used in the food industry as a sweetener and texturizer, particularly in dairy products due to its natural presence in milk. Serves as a precursor in the synthesis of galactooligosaccharides, which are prebiotics supporting gut health. Employed in pharmaceutical formulations for drug delivery systems and in the production of certain antibiotics. Also utilized in research settings to study cellular metabolism and glycosylation processes. Commonly found in diagnostic tests to assess liver function, especially in evaluating hepatic metabolism capacity.