The Study
Frequency of adult type-associated lactase persistence LCT-13910C/T genotypes in the Czech/Slav and Czech Roma/Gypsy populations
This study looked at which people have a gene that lets them digest milk as adults and compared two groups: Czech Slavs and Czech Roma. It found that more Slavs have the gene and also report drinking more milk, but it doesn't prove that having the gene makes people drink more milk — maybe other reasons, like culture or family habits, are why.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Some people keep making the milk-digesting enzyme into adulthood because of a gene change; others stop making it after childhood.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 541 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this explains why milk intolerance is common in some populations but rare in others, tied to ancient farming and migration.
- 276% of Czech Slavs can digest milk as adults; only 27% of Czech Roma can.
- 3Most Roma (73%) can't digest milk, and they report eating dairy less often (39%) than Slavs (71%).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Year
2017
Authors
J. Hubacek, V. Adámková, L. Šedová, V. Olišarová, V. Adámek, V. Tóthová
Related Content
Claims (6)
Most adults worldwide cannot digest lactose after infancy because their bodies stop producing the enzyme lactase, a trait inherited from human ancestors.
Among Czech Roma adults, 73.3% carry a genetic variant associated with reduced lactose digestion, while among Czech Slavs, 23.6% carry this variant.
People of Czech Roma descent have the same frequency of a specific genetic variant related to digesting milk as people from India, which suggests their ancestors came from South Asia.
The LCT-13910T allele, which allows adults to digest milk, is found in 76% of Czech Slavs and 27% of Czech Roma.
Czech Slavs report consuming dairy more often than Czech Roma, and this difference matches the frequency of a genetic variant that allows adults to digest lactose.
In both Czech Slavs and Czech Roma, people who drink unfermented milk have the same rate of the lactase persistence gene as people who do not drink it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.