Certain individuals who find they feel unwell after eating dairy, may actually have lactose intolerance. People who have lactose intolerance have trouble digesting the natural sugar that is found in most diary foods because they do not have enough of the enzyme lactase in their body.

Lactose intolerance is most often seen in older individuals as most children are born with enough of it in their system. It is also a more common occurrence among non-Caucasian individuals since they typically consume fewer dairy products in their diets.

The most common symptoms of this condition include abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence and stomach bloating. Some may experience these symptoms to a much greater extent than others and not everyone will have all the symptoms.

If you do in fact have this condition, then some tips to keep in mind are to:

consume smaller amounts of dairy products at a time (for example, ? cup of milk)
make sure any dairy products you do eat are in combination with other foods
try eating low-fat dairy products over the higher fat counterparts
look for products that are made for those with this condition (certain milks are now out on the market)
take an over the counter medication that will help you digest diary products better

Overall as long as one approaches this issue in a smart manner it can easily be dealt with.