2023-07-25 06:58:09
A team of researchers in the United States has identified about 500 genes responsible for food preferences in humans. These findings represent an important step towards using human genetics to develop precise nutritional strategies to help improve health and prevent disease.
“Some of the genes that we have identified are associated with sensory pathways such as taste, smell and touch, and may also increase the brain’s response to reward,” said researcher Joanne Cole, a medical informatics specialist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
She added, in statements to the Medical Express website, which specializes in medical research, that since some genes have clear pathways associated with the senses, they affect food preferences, and they can be used to draw a genetic map for each person in order to develop food recommendations that suit his taste in eating.
The study relied on data from the UK Biobank, which includes vital data for about 500,000 people. The study focused on identifying the genes that greatly affect diets, and the association of some of these genes with certain characteristics and behaviors, including the eating habits of humans.
Cole stated that the foods we choose are greatly affected by environmental factors such as culture, social and economic status, and food availability.
The results of this study will be presented during the annual conference of the American Dietetic Association, which will be held in Boston, USA, this week.
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