If you’ve ever felt a little “different” from your friends and co-workers, don’t fret. It might just be because you’re Korean.

KoreAm delves into the depths of science (via Google) to explain everything from lactose intolerance to the “Asian glow.” 

We always knew Koreans were a unique bunch.

 

LACTOSE

INTOLERANCE

If your stomach does somersaults every time you eat at Dairy Queen, chances are you have lactose intolerance, a disorder prevalent among an estimated 90 percent of Asian Americans, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. With lactose intolerance, or hypolactasia, your body experiences a decline in its level of lactase, an enzyme needed for the proper metabolization of dairy products. Lactase enzyme tablets such as Lactaid can make dairy foods easier to digest.

 

SPLIT PINKY TOENAIL

Here’s a little test. Pick one foot and look at your pinky toenail. Does it look broken on the edge, almost as if it is split into two?

Though not proven by genetic studies, folklore says that if you have this trait, you are of Han descent. You can try to clip off the excess nail, but it always grows back.

 

ALCOHOL FLUSH REACTION,

AKA “ASIAN GLOW”

Most of us are familiar with this one. After just one or two drinks, your skin feels hot and looks flushed. An estimated 50 percent of Asians experience the alcohol flush reaction, which is caused by a deficiency in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an enzyme that breaks down alcohol. A common way of fighting the glow is through over-the-counter antacid drugs such as Pepcid AC, although the company says the product is not intended for this particular use.

 

MONGOLIAN BLUE SPOTS

If you’re flipping through your old baby albums and can’t find any pictures of yourself waddling in the bathtub, it may be because you had a bout of Mongolian blue spots, or congenital dermal melanocytosis, which are irregularly-shaped bluish marks that appear at birth, or shortly thereafter, usually on the lower back or buttocks. According to a report by Dr. Hironao Numabe of Tokyo Medical University, the spots are most common among Asian races and usually disappear between ages 7 to 13.

 

DRY EARWAX

No wonder Mom always had that earwax-scooping torture device lying around the house.

East Asians are likely to have a dry form of earwax, according to Japanese researchers who pinpointed the gene that controls earwax production. While dry earwax is pale and dry, the “wet” variety, common among whites and African Americans, is brown and sticky — and oftentimes easier to swab out. 

There is an upside: It has also been found that populations with dry earwax tend to sweat less and have less body odor than those with wet earwax.