The enjoyment of food is understood to stem exclusively from its contents, but a new study reveals that inborn genetic traits can influence dietary fat perception. A team led by Monell Chemical Senses Center published an article in Chemical Senses reporting that "Person-to-person diversity in the positive perception of fattiness derives partially from an individual's genetic make-up," senior author Danielle Reed states.
Studying variations of taste experiences in humans helps understand unapparent dietary choices made by individuals that negatively impact health. "How the taste, smell, and flavor of food and drink affect liking, and therefore the amount and type of food consumed, ultimately affects human health," says Reed.
The team studied 398 human twins and asked participants to rate low- and high-fat potato chips on how fatty they tasted and how much they liked it. In order to determine if there was a genetic relationship, researchers also characterized the genotype of the pairs. By comparing taste-test results from different pairs of twins with similar genotype, they discovered two gene variants related to the ratings of liking of fatty levels and that identical pairs had closer patterns of liking than fraternal twins.
Future research would involve looking beyond fatty content and seeking to understand how universal these genetic influences might be with other foods. "Most people assume more liking drives more intake, but decades of research tell us the reverse is true—we avoid what we don't like," said co-author John Hayes. "I may love bacon, but if I listen to my cardiologist, I'm still not going to eat it every morning,” he concludes.