Tag: European ancestry

While it is a common misconception, Europeans are not the only population group with low rates of lactose intolerance; approximately 65% of the world's adult population cannot digest lactose efficiently. The ability to drink milk past infancy, known as lactase persistence, evolved independently in various populations around the world, not just Europe.

While about 68% of the world's population has lactose malabsorption, Northern European populations exhibit a much lower rate of lactose intolerance, with some countries reporting levels as low as 5%. This striking difference in prevalence is linked to a fascinating genetic story and provides a direct answer to the question: **Which race is the least lactose intolerant?**