Attention Chinese, Japanese and Jews.
You come from a population that has an early version of a gene, actually a known allele MCM6, that generates a lactase digesting enzyme in the small intestine. That enzyme digests milk and dairy products in adults.
I have good news for you. The great and awesome commercial world is now producing milk and dairy products without lactose. In San Francisco, I can buy milk that is lactose free in nearly all grocery stores. In a few I can buy Breyer’s chocolate and vanilla ice cream that is lactose free Recently I have been able to buy several brands of lactose free butter.
Check Google for your local area; hopefully you will find a few lactose free dairy products.
Up until now I have had to swallow a freeze dried pill of lactase enzyme, which helps digest dairy products for a few hours. Otherwise the symptoms are gurgling belly, stomach gas and farts.
I expect to see these lactose free products explode in the market as more people make the connection between their low level annoying symptoms and dairy products.
I notice, in Japan, that most people swallow a daily drink of yogurt that has lactase in it. The product has been on the market since the 1930’s.
Why is this mild discomfort, that is so widespread in the population, finally being addressed?
Simple. Commerce. Commerce finds needs and satisfies them. The rest of the world has a ‘fuck you’ attitude. Thank you commerce.