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Lactose intolerance is actually the human norm – but racism, the US government and business interests have made it into a condition

<name>Hilary Smith, Professor of History, University of Denver</name> <foaf:homepage rdf:resource="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hilary-smith-1250821"/>· 25 août 2026

The majority of the world is unable to process the lactose in milk without uncomfortable symptoms Olga Miltsova/iStock via Getty Images Plus Lactose intolerance makes drinking milk or eating ice cream a literal pain. For some people, eating a dairy treat can lead to bloating, nausea and diarrhea .…

Résumé

Lactose intolerance is normal

Most people worldwide are lactose intolerant, meaning their bodies cannot easily digest lactose, the sugar found in milk.

This is the natural human state, as lactose intolerance is shared by every adult animal except for certain human groups.

Lactose intolerance causes symptoms like bloating, nausea, and diarrhea after consuming dairy.

Despite this, it is often mistakenly viewed as a defect rather than a normal physiological condition.

The article highlights that lactose intolerance was not discovered as a condition until the 1960s, when scientists began studying why some people felt sick after drinking milk.

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