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Lactose tolerance in an Arab population

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Abstract

Lactose tolerance tests were performed on 67 adult Arab villagers. Fifty-four (80.6%) had a low rise in glucose and most had symptoms during the test. Lactose tolerance was not related to age or sex and did not correlate with milk consumption. A high incidence of adult lactose intolerance has been found in all Mediterranean groups studied to date—Greek Cypriots, Jews, and now Arabs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Gastrointestinal Unit, Ichilov Hospital, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Tuvia Gilat MD, Enny Gelman Malachi MSc & S. B. Shochet MB, MPH

  2. the Government Health Center, Tira, The Little Triangle, Israel

    Tuvia Gilat MD, Enny Gelman Malachi MSc & S. B. Shochet MB, MPH

Authors
  1. Tuvia Gilat MD
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  2. Enny Gelman Malachi MSc
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  3. S. B. Shochet MB, MPH
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Additional information

The authors wish to thank O. Mizrahy, PhD, of the Central Biochemical Laboratory of the Workers' Sick Fund, Tel-Aviv, for performing the blood sugar determinations; Mrs. Ora Ronen and Mr. Said Raby for valuable help in carrying out this study.

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Gilat, T., Malachi, E.G. & Shochet, S.B. Lactose tolerance in an Arab population. Digest Dis Sci 16, 203–206 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02235240

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02235240

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