akylekoz said:In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
Wow! lookup rates of Lactose intolerance strangely less common for northern Europeans.
*raises hand* Lactose Intolerant White Guy (aka Northern European) here- I can speak a bit to this. Being Lactose Tolerant is actually a genetic mutation- 'normal' humans gradually lose the ability to produce lactase (needed to digest lactose) after they're weaned from their mother's milk, and it's most common in- yes- Northern Europeans/Caucasians.
One theory is that it's a result of natural selection related to Vitamin D- in more Northerly environments there's less sunlight over the course of the year than there is closer to the equator so humans further North produce less Vitamin D the 'normal' way, through exposure to the sun. Thus, those people who could get Vitamin D from other sources- like dairy products- were healthier and passes their lactase-production mutation on to their children. It's not universal though- as previously noted I'm both white and lactose intolerant while both my parents are lactose tolerant.
