Abstract
The decline in gastrointestinal lactase activity, adult-type hypolactasia, is genetically determined by a recessive single gene. A genetic selection associated with the consumption of milk or milk products for hundreds or thousands of years explains the differences in the prevalence of hypolactasia seen nowadays. The lowest European prevalence has been reported in Denmark (4%) and the highest prevalence in the Mari population in Russia (81%).
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Timo Sahi
The article is based on a lecture presented at the meeting Lactose intolerance revisited, Febuary 1-2, 200 1, Stoclolm, Sweden