Genetic impact on diet and the potential of application and further study
As we look at the world around us during mealtime, everyone has different foods on their plates. Despite cultural environments that determine the ingredients available and socioeconomic gaps that limit the ingredients available to particular groups, people of similar status living in similar climates still choose to consume different foods. This can be attributed to the fact that we all have different preferences. But why is that?
Using genome study technology that is normally used to identify risk for diseases in humans, Riken Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) and Osaka University researchers conducted research in 2020 that successfully identified genetic similarities between people with habitual consumption and inclinations towards a particular food. Through doing so, they were able to identify what made people “at risk” of eating certain foods. “We know that what we eat defines what we are, but we found that what we are also defines what we eat,” Yukinori Okada, Senior Visiting Scientist at RIKEN IMS and professor at Osaka University, said.
They found two types of preferences resulting from genetic variants: the basic tastes and main ingredients of the food.
Genetic relations for preference for two of the five basic tastes were identified. A proclivity towards bitterness was found among people who took a liking towards tofu, while those lacking the variant consumed less alcohol or none at all. Furthermore, variants in TAS2R43, a particular bitter receptor gene, were found to contribute to differences in the enjoyment of coffee; people who perceive stronger bitterness due to variants in the gene take a liking to coffee more. A similar finding was discovered for the umami taste, a flavor named by Professor Kikunae Ikeda, a chemist at Tokyo Imperial University in 1908. Umami, meaning “essence of deliciousness” in Japanese, is the meaty, savory deliciousness that deepens flavor. The genetic receptor associated with this flavor was found common in people who regularly consumed natto, tofu, fish and vegetables.
The other type of preference was for the type of foods, or the main ingredient it was composed of. This includes dairy, starchy foods, fat and more. In the study, strong genetic correlations were found between eating yogurt and eating cheese, both milk-based foods.
Joanne Cole, a research team leader of another 2023 study conducted to find the link between genes and diet, stated that the data necessary to do this only became available recently. Since the breakthrough of technology, there is wide potential for further exploration of this field. Much more data is required to establish and locate the exact genetic receptors and their variations that affect diet choices. However, scientists are already able to apply the data that they have been able to collect as they suggest the possibility of personalizing meal plans with a greater focus on particular foods rather than food molecules. This would increase the likelihood of closely following meal plans through a selection of foods preferable to the individual.
Another similar study was conducted by researchers from Boston University School of Public Health, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and other institutions. Hassan Dashti, a study coauthor, indicates that data collected could also help to identify people at risk of certain diseases that arise from diet, for example, obesity, which is partly caused by excessive intake of fat.
“If someone has a higher genetic susceptibility for preferring fatty foods, this information can be used to help this individual to choose foods with higher amounts of healthy fats rather than recommending other dietary approaches that might compromise adherence to these interventions,” Dashti said.