Drinking milk led to taller and heavier ancient humans in some regions of the world and their consumption has a direct impact on lactose intolerance in Europe today, a new study has found.
A researcher from Queen’s University in Belfast provided data for the study which compared skeletons from archaeological sites spread over 25,000 years.
The research, which was led by the University of Western Ontario, found that between 2,000 and 7,000 years ago the size increase was found in regions where ancient humans had higher levels of genes that allow the production of enzymes that digest milk into adulthood – this is called lactase persistence.
