An Inuit family. Photo by Ansgar Walk / Wikipedia

An estimated 3 percent of the Inuit population in Canada suffers from a genetic intolerance to sugar, according to a recent study.

Researchers identified the gene for congenital sucrase-ismaltase deficiency (CSID) by conducting an analysis of an Inuit infant who became sick after ingesting formula that contained sucrose. They were able to find the mutation among another 128 Inuit individuals, leading them to conclude that it occurs with a higher frequency among this Native population.

“It’s unusual, and it’s a rare disorder, except it’s not rare in the circumpolar population,” Ronald Scott, a professor of pediatrics and genetics expert at the University of Washington who was a co-author of the study, told The Alaska Dispatch News.

It's believed that certain Native populations in other areas, like northern coastal Alaska and Greenland, suffer from equally high rates of CSID. In comparison, the disorder affects just 0.2 percent of North Americans of European ancestry.

The treatment for CSID usually involves cutting down on sugary foods or adopting a more traditional Native diet.

Get the Story:
Sugar intolerance in northern populations linked to specific gene, researchers say (The Alaska Dispatch News 1/19)

Get the Study:
Congenital sucrase—isomaltase deficiency: identification of a common Inuit founder mutation (Canadian Medical Association Journal December 2014)