New analysis sharpens how lactose tolerance varies across South Asian populations

Published · 29 May 2026

Researchers report refined estimates of how few South Asian adults carry the lactase-persistence variant, with meaningful regional variation across the subcontinent.

Why it matters

It reframes everyday advice. If most adults in a population do not retain the milk-digesting enzyme, blanket 'milk is healthy' messaging needs a regional rewrite - fermented dairy first, smaller portions, individual testing where it matters.

Source

Editorial note: Recent South Asian genome analyses (e.g. bioRxiv preprints) - confirm publication, sample size, and figures