Who is most affected?
Body of people with African or Asian descent around age of 5 begins making less lactase.
You are more likely to have this problem if you are from, or your family is from, a part of the world where lactose malabsorption is more common. There a lot of percentage among people of different descent who in some degree have of lactose intolerance:
- 90% of people from some areas of Eastern Asia
- 80% of American Indians
- 65% of Africans and African-Americans
- 50% of Hispanics
In contrast, 80 percent of Caucasians have a gene that preserves the ability to produce lactase into adulthood.
Because these ethnic and racial groups are more likely to have lactose intolerance, they are also more likely to have the symptoms of lactose malabsorption.
In the US, about 36% of people have lactose intolerance.
