Gene Queen: Turns Out Loving Fatty Foods May Be Genetic

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

I was catching up on my foodie news the other day and ran across a story that may be of interest to those of us interested in obesity issues. What caught my eye was the suggestion that a fatty taste receptor could be responsible for some people’s higher preference for fatty food. Translation: there’s new evidence that it may be in our genes to like fat food.

Obviously I had to get the full scoop. Who doesn’t want a hidden scapegoat for our cravings?

So here’s the deal: In a study published by the Journal of Lipid Research (how’s that for a sexy sounding publication?), scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine report that they’ve discovered a fatty taste receptor in humans, which makes fat one of the tastes we experience, like salty, sweet, and bitter. A variant of a gene called CD36, this fat-sensitive protein could make people more or less sensitive to the fat content of food, and could also influence their food preference. The researchers say as many as one in five people could have less of the genetic protein, which means they could be less sensitive to the fat in food.

It’s kind of over my head, but research like this does seem like an important step in addressing America’s obesity epidemic. The more we understand about what causes certain cravings, the better equipped we are to act. For more intel on the study, check out the full story here.

To be honest, I’m still inclined to think the problem is mostly that so much fatty food tastes good…but that’s probably just my CD36 talking again!

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