Nutrition News: Discovery of Genes Influencing Food Preferences Leads to Personalized Diet Plans
By SWNS | July 23, 2023 | 4:16pm
The discovery of hundreds of genes that directly influence our food choices has opened the door to personalized healthy diet plans, according to scientists. These findings could provide new insights into the genetic basis for food preferences and help improve nutrition on an individual basis.
In one of the largest studies of genes related to diet, researchers have identified almost 500 genes that appear to directly impact the foods we eat. This breakthrough represents a significant step towards using genetics to develop precision nutrition strategies that can enhance health and prevent diseases.
Dr. Joanne Cole, the leader of the research team, explained that some of the genes identified are related to sensory pathways, including taste, smell, and texture. These genes may also increase the reward response in the brain. Understanding these genes could potentially be used to create sensory genetic profiles to tailor dietary recommendations based on individual food preferences.
The American research team utilized the UK Biobank, which contains data from 500,000 people, to conduct a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) to identify genes more strongly associated with diet than any other health or lifestyle factor. PheWAS studies are commonly used to find associations between gene variants and a range of human traits and behaviors, including dietary intake.
Cole stated that environmental factors, such as culture, socio-economic status, and food accessibility, predominantly influence the foods we choose to eat. However, genetics play a smaller role, making it necessary to study a large number of individuals to detect genetic influences. The availability of data has only recently made this possible.
One of the challenges in identifying diet-related genes is that people’s diets are often correlated with other factors like health conditions and socio-economic status. To address this, the research team applied computational methods to distinguish direct effects of genetic variants impacting diet from indirect effects. For instance, a gene impacting diabetes may require a person to consume less sugar.
By analyzing the data from the UK Biobank, the researchers identified around 300 genes directly associated with eating specific foods and nearly 200 genes linked to dietary patterns that group various foods together. The study also highlighted the importance of considering other factors when studying dietary patterns, as they may confound the relationship between eating patterns and human health.
Cole is further studying the newly identified diet-related genes to gain a better understanding of their function. Additionally, she is working to identify more genes that directly influence food preferences. She is also interested in exploring whether using a person’s genetics to modify the flavor profile of a weight loss diet could improve adherence. Moreover, the new insights may be used to tailor foods based on a person’s genetic predisposition.
“If we know that a gene encoding an olfactory receptor increases a person’s liking of fruit and boosts the reward response in the brain, then we could identify compounds that bind to it. Adding these compounds to healthy foods could make them more appealing to the individual,” said Cole.
The findings were presented at Nutrition 2023, the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Boston, Massachusetts.