Becoming vegetarian is normally a choice that people decide to make, but is it possible for your body to start rejecting meat? Many people become veterinarians for either environmental, ethical, or health reasons. Recently, a study provided information on how someone's genetic code can make them vegetarian. The study compared genetic data from over 5,300 strict vegetarians to a control group of over 329,000 non-vegetarians. The study revealed that 31 genes potentially linked to vegetarians had a different complex lipid content compared to those who were eating meat.
Dietary needs have always been pretty simple, humans eat plants and animals, but this study opens a door for them to go further into understanding our diet. We will have to wait for other studies to be done to gain deeper insights into this genetic code. This research encourages others to understand the relationship between our genetic code and the food choices we make.
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I wonder if these genetic markers correlate with those that develop Alpha-Gal allergies from ticks. Moreover I'm curious if those allergies are caused at least in part by an epigenetic change to those bitten by Lonestar ticks. Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article I was very unaware that the foods we like to eat can be determined by our genes. Having 31 genes that can are linked to vegetarian people can only mean there are other genes that we have in our system that can lead to other food interest that we have. Very good find on this article makes me interested in more things are genes do for us.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article Allie! I think there has not been enough research on how our genes affect our food choices... Or how food affects us. Recently all the studies with how sucralose and non nutritive sweetners on our gut microbiome fascinate me! I wonder if they have any role in food choices as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to think that we may be genetically predisposed to our diets. I have never heard of this theory before, but it could also explain why certain people from particular regions are more tolerant to certain foods than others.
ReplyDeleteHey Allie, I had never known that certain foods we enjoy more than others because of our genes. I can't wait to see the research that is done on this because I think it is very intersting.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article, I never knew this was a thing, but I can understand that genes can play a role in influencing our dietary preferences, including the choice to become vegetarian. But I feel like while there isn't a single vegetarian gene, certain genetic variations can affect our taste preferences.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting because it raises a lot of questions. Is there a possibility that the food itself is influencing our genes? Of course, it seems that genes can determine what foods we prefer to eat, or it could be that the foods we are eating are influencing our genes. In this case, are there genes that make a person want to be non-vegetarian?
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article! Personally I am a very picky eater so I wonder if genes could be related to that as well or if thats just based on environmental factors. Every person has different tastes and preferences so I'm sure genetics has something to do with it!
ReplyDeleteThis post and study highlighting the potential genetic bases for vegetarianism are very interesting! This adds a new perspective to the dietary choices we make and suggests that our genetic code may influence our desire for a certain dietary lifestyle. I wonder if the genes studied in his article and those that mark for a potential link to vegetarianism have any connection or correlation to the Alpha-Gal allergy. The Alpha-Gall Syndrome is a hypersensitive reaction to oligosaccharide galactose-α-1, 3-galactose (α-gal), which is a carbohydrate epitope found in proteins and lipids in mammals and foods like red meat. A friend of mine was bitten by the Lone Star tick and developed this allergy. I wonder if this study can eventually lead to more insight into this allergy and other dietary choices we make.
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