And since lactose digestion takes place in the small intestine, you want your organisms to get there as soon as possible, even if your stomach acid doesn't kill them. Although this is still only a theory, Dr. Jain says, it's probably best to stick with nonfat yogurt. Eat it every day. Eat yogurt before ice cream. Add your own lactase.
Several companies make lactase enzyme and add it to milk.
Or you can buy it in liquid form and add it yourself. Lactaid, using research done by Dr. Bayless and David Paige, M.D., at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, makes tablets you can take at the same time as you eat lactose-containing foods. A few drops of lactase liquid in a quart of milk renders the milk flatulence-free with a slightly sweeter taste. Each person has a different degree of lactose intolerance, so it's a matter of trial and error. The tablets and drops are available OTC in pharmacies, while supermarkets nationwide carry tummy-ready Lactaid milk.