Is it true that Native Americans are lactose intolerant?

Question

I herd somewhere that lactose intolerance is highly common among Native Americans.
My grandmother is Cherokee and sometimes milk makes me feel sick. I was just wondering if it is possible tha it is genetic.

Answer 1

yep...not all natives are though. my family handles milk just fine. my daughter has some problems occasionally. animal milk was not a part of our indigenous diets. can you imagine what native ppl thought way back then, when they saw anglo ppl squeezing milk out of cows? lmao, they must've thought it was crazy!!
so anyway, do other milk products make you feel sick as well, or just milk. if it's just milk, your prob not intolerant, but you should really ask your doctor to be sure. good luck with this.
**footnote** colleen...just because the indians where you live want to be referred to as amer. indians, doesn't mean we all do...it's very different, regionally. i prefer indian, native, or lakota. plz don't speak for all us indians. it spreads more misinformation.

quite new here...we natives are not all descendents of asians. there is proof that there were native ppl on the plains before the bering strait froze over.

Answer 2

Anyone can be lactose intolerant. I know a lot of Natives, and my Boys are Native American (Sioux and Sho Sho Ne) and they are not lactose intolerant. In fact my youngest boy drinks milk like it's going out of style.
I'm half asian and milk does the same thing to me. I'm not lactose intolerant, but milk does make my stomach hurt if I drink more than a cup of it.

Answer 3

Most Asians are lactose intolerant based on thousands of years of not being milk drinkers. Native North Americans are descendants of asians. That must be the connection.

Answer 4

I'm Native, and nobody in my family is lactose intolerant (that I know of). I'm not a doctor, but I doubt the rate is any higher than any other group of people.

Answer 5

not me. Milk is unquestionably one in all my famous liquids. yet, people won't be able to appropriate digest ANY dairy product, thats why there are maximum of people who're lactose to start with. Milk is from a COW, it replace into not placed in this planet for something yet a calf. people can only digest human milk as a toddler the way its meant. Thats why it upsets maximum of people's tummies.

Answer 6

It could be genetic in that you got it from your grandmother but I know many American Indians, (this is how they prefer to be addressed), who drink milk. One in fact owns a dairy farm. American Indians just like the rest of the people on this planet are all individuals and their health is individual to each one.

Answer 7

ya some are
actually 3/4 of the world is
America and Europe are not because we have developed differently. Unlike most people we still drink milk when we are older because we still posses enzymes that can break it down. In most people these enzymes go away when they are young.
it is the same way with alcohol.
its all about enzymes.

Answer 8

No! It is an allergy its not genetic. Hope you like soy milk cuz you won't be able to tolerate milk. Good luck. My fav Icecream is Rice Dream its at the health food stores try it!

Answer 9

lol u herd wrong ...have u ever meet a native american.. ? i dient think so..well glad to meet cha..i am one n milk is my life. i drink no sodas no teas no caffine drinks at all..i drink water juice n all the milk i can get my hands on.. and so do my children n we are all cherokee n creek indian. someone told u some tall tells...

btw

o si yo (hello)
do hi tsi (how are you)

Answer 10

Actually, it's normal for most people, regardless of ethnic background, to be lactose-intolerant. If you're not lactose intolerant, then you are unusual (and lucky too) !!!