[Secret Agent Man]

Hell, you can take probiotics that are made to help digest dairy products. Half the time I think lactose-intolerant people just don’t have the bacterial flora they need to aid them in digesting milk products. If you supplement it you can re-populate the gut with the necessary bacteria and probably deal with it a lot better.

[sarasota]

Bingo!

[Liberty1970]

I suspect a lot of lactose intolerance is a transient thing. My father was diagnosed years ago but says he's better now. At the same time I was having a lot of gas from dairy products and chalked it up to the same thing, gradually cutting way back on them. I'd have cheese products, and occasional ice cream, but that was about it.

Then two months ago I broke my collarbone and ankle in an accident. I wonder if a better diet of dairy could have made a difference. After 6 weeks my collarbone still wasn't back in one piece, so I went all-out and have been gorging on milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream - you name it. And you know what, I'm showing no sign of lactose intolerance. I figured I'd single-handedly cause global warming, but I've been fine with it all.

[muawiyah]

Alas, lactose intolerant people have ALL the flora necessary to digest and thrive on dairy products ~ and that's the problem right there. Their own digestive systems leave lactase (milk sugar) untouched as it moves into the large intestine and those friendly flora and fauna DINE WELL and produce vast quantities of hydrogen gas!

One variation found frequently in Korean people has the problem start right at the pyloric valve, so they can eat a cheese burger, wait 20 minutes, and then engage in 30 and 40 foot projectile vomiting!

It's difficult to deal with the upper GI problem with just lactase pills ~ better for them to just become very paranoic about traditional American foods and not eat anything with dairy products in them ~ which can include balogna, frozen hamburger patties, most candy bars....