Can genes affect your choice of diet?

    People can stick to a certain diet, change their food preferences, or have no dietary restrictions at all. These preferences can be based on religious affiliation, wanting a change, or simply just a personal preference. Having said that, research is being conducted to determine if your genes can influence diet preferences.

    A study was conducted consisting of 5,300 strict vegetarians compared to 329,000 non-vegetarians who were the control group.  It was found that 31 genes could be potentially affecting diet choices. Then, most of these genes are associated with metabolizing fat and/or brain function. Dr. Nabeel Yaseen a professor at Northwestern's School of Medicine believes that people who prefer a vegetarian diet have a genetic advantage allowing them to synthesize lipids in plants and other foods just as well if they were to eat meat. People have a driving factor for food and drink preferences based on how their body processes it and the feeling they get afterwards. This creates food likes and dislikes.

    About 3% to 4% of Americans are vegetarian. Studies like the one being described not only can provide information about genetic preferences, but better food options and guidance for those who do have dietary restrictions. 

Can we Blame our Genetics for Overeating?

The decisions in our life like the amount and types of food we consume are controlled by both personal choices and genetic history. The FTO gene is the first gene to be linked to obesity, and one small change in the gene is the difference between low risk and high risk obesity. Individuals who have one high risk copy have a 30% chance to develop obesity, and those who have two high risk copies of the gene have a 70% chance of developing obesity.  A survey of individuals with either one or two copies of the high risk gene revealed that not everyone who was genetically prone to obesity was obese.

The topic of overeating is also a nature vs. nurture case because an individual's risk for obesity is affected by their genetic make up but also the environment in which they live in. Our physiological response to eating or any other habit is associated with a reward system within the brain. It's been established that gene variation can increase a person's chances of being addicted to eating or any other addiction. However not everyone who has this gene variation will get addicted. I agree with this article because an individual's genetic history can make someone more prone to a certain addiction, but the environment in which they are in also plays a significant role.

Could Genetics Influence What We Like To Eat?

Gene variants that affect the way our brain works could also affect our primary diet, and what we like to eat even if they are not good for us. Silvia Berciano, an undergrad at the University of Madrid, presents his findings and states that most have trouble changing their dietary habits because of specific brain genes that people have predetermined preferences. These preferences can make it extremely easy or extremely hard for someone to eat healthier and improve their well-being. These genes are similar to those that are said to cause anorexia and bulimia. This could also explain why this disease can be seen amongst family members. I find this article to be especially interesting because I have know individuals who were a mother and daughter who both struggled with eating disorders. I think genes can have a lot to do with one's feelings towards food.

Medical Press