If the lactose intolerance is common for the vast majority of people of non-European descent, then why is milk drinking so common in certain African and Asian cultures?

Question

A lot of pasotoralkst and hisforically pastoralist peoples like the Maasai, Mongolians, Tibetans have a prominent milk drinking culture that existed before European influence. How’d groups like these get by for so long if lactose intolerance is so universal.

In: 23

Answer 1

Ferment the lactose out of it. Kefir, yogurt, cheese etc. The lactic acid bacteria eat the sugar and make it sour, doing the same with yeast gets you a mildly alcoholic (1-3%) drink of sour milk. Khumiss is made from fermented horse milk.