A new study found that genetics may play a bigger role than previously thought in determining what foods you like and don't like. Food preferences are complex and formed by various factors, the most important of which is the culture and environment in which a person grows. But researchers are increasingly finding that a person's genes can also play an important role in determining the food they like to eat.
Data map
Previous studies have summarized specific gene variants that can determine a person's response to certain types of foods. Among them, studies have found that about 10% of people carry a genetic variant that improves their ability to feel coriander. Other more specific findings that link genes to food preferences include a 2020 study that reveals why some people almost like the smell of rotten fish.
However, these previous studies are often small-scale and target specific tastes. A new study published in Nature Communications provides the most comprehensive survey of genetics and taste ever conducted.
This new study conducted a genome-wide association study that tracked the taste preferences of more than 150,000 people for 139 foods. More than 400 specific genetic variants that affect taste were found. "This is a great example of applying complex statistical methods to large genetic data sets to reveal new biology, in this case the fundamental basis for what we like to eat and how it is layered - from individual projects to large food groups."
The study categorized its new gene discovery into three different food categories: Highly palatable (high-calorie foods such as meat, cakes, dairy and carbohydrate ), Low-calorie (whole foods, fruits and vegetables) and Acquired (hard or strong flavors such as coffee, olives, cheese and alcohol).
Interestingly, the researchers found a clear correlation between health characteristics and food preferences. Some of these correlations are not surprising such as the genetic link between obesity, cardiovascular disease, and high-taste, high-calorie foods.
Other connections are unusual. People who like Aquired foods like the greatest genetic predisposition are associated with lower obesity index and better lipid conditions, but have higher likelihood of addictive behaviors such as smoking and drinking.
Perhaps the most valuable takeaway from this large study is the discovery that many of these gene-driven taste preferences can be linked to genes that play different roles in the brain. This shows that the biological process of determining food preferences is much more complex, says Nicola Piratsu, the first author of the study’s paper. "(One) important observation is that preferences are divided primarily not between salty and sweet foods, as might be expected, but between highly pleasant and high-calorie foods and those that need to learn taste. This difference is reflected in the brain regions involved in their preferences, which strongly points to a potential biological mechanism."
At this point, these new findings are relatively academic, providing new insights into what factors drive our food choices.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-