Are Scandinavians less likely to be lactose intolerant?

While 65\% or more of the total human population are lactose intolerant, in some human populations lactase activity commonly persists into adulthood. Lactose tolerance is exceptionally widespread in Northern European countries such as Sweden and Finland, with tolerance levels of 74\% and 82\%, respectively.

Why is lactose intolerance less common in Europe?

Today, over 90\% of the population in northern Europe have the gene that enables us to digest milk. The gene is also present in some African and Middle Eastern populations, but is missing from the majority of the adult population globally.

What country has the least lactose intolerance?

The ten countries with the lowest prevalence of lactose intolerance are:

• Denmark – 4\%
• Ireland – 4\%
• Sweden – 7\%
• United Kingdom – 8\%
• New Zealand – 10\%
• Netherlands – 12\%
• Norway – 12\%
• Niger – 13\%

What race has the most lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, with 70 to 100 percent of people affected in these communities. Lactose intolerance is also very common in people of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.

Why is lactose intolerance more common in certain ethnic groups?

“The most likely explanation is nomadism,” Sherman concluded. All 13 of the populations that can digest dairy yet live in areas that are primarily lactose intolerant were historically migratory groups that moved seasonally, Sherman said.

Which culture is most lactose intolerant?

Is lactose intolerance a European trait?

However, a study analysing the genomes of 101 Bronze-Age Eurasians reveals that around 90\% were lactose intolerant. The research also sheds light on how modern Europeans came to look the way they do – and that these various traits may originate in different ancient populations.

What percentage of Europe is lactose intolerant?

When standardising for country size, the global prevalence estimate of lactose malabsorption was 68\% (95\% CI 64–72), ranging from 28\% (19–37) in western, southern, and northern Europe to 70\% (57–83) in the Middle East.

What ethnicities are more likely to be lactose intolerant?

What percent of Caucasians are lactose-intolerant?

Findings from research by Norman Kretchmer (1972)40 and augmented by research completed by the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggested that 75 percent of African Americans, 100 percent of Native Americans, 12 percent of Caucasians, and 93 percent of Chinese Americans are …

Why are North Europeans so lactose intolerant?

We provide several lines of archaeological and historical evidence suggesting that the high lactose tolerance in North Europeans cannot be explained by selection from in situ milk consumption. First, fresh cow milk has not belonged to the traditional diet of Swedes or Finns until recent times.

Are the lactose intolerance percentages exact or a range?

Lactose intolerance percentages were taken directly from the source referenced. The fact that some percentages are exact and others are provided as a range is the result of the research methodologies used by the authors of the respective studies. Please note that the data below references lactose intolerance only and not milk allergy.

Why is there a high prevalence of lactose tolerance in Finland?

We suggest that the high prevalence of lactose tolerance in Finland in particular may be explained by immigration of people representing so-called Corded Ware Culture, an early culture representing agricultural development in Europe. Publication types Review MeSH terms

What is lactose intolerance in infants?

Lactose intolerance is “an impaired ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products,” according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Lactose intolerance in infants is caused by a mutation in the LCT gene, which results in a life-long intolerance.