A Brief Review of Genetic Approaches to the Study of Food Preferences: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.

Robino Robino,Catamo Catamo,Concas Concas,Gasparini Gasparini

doi:10.3390/nu11081735

Robino Robino, Catamo Catamo + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081735

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Abstract

Genetic variation plays a crucial role in individual differences in food preferences which ultimately influence food selection and health. Our current understanding of this pathway has been informed through twin studies (to assess the heritability of food preferences), candidate gene studies, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, most of this literature is mainly focused on genes previously identified as having taste or smell functions. New data suggests that genes not associated with taste or smell perception may be involved in food preferences and contribute to health outcomes. This review highlights these emerging findings and suggests a polygenic risk assessment approach to explore new relationships between food preferences and health risks.

Highlights

A Brief Review of Genetic Approaches to the Study ofAntonietta Robino 1, * , Maria Pina Concas 1 , Eulalia Catamo 1 and Paolo Gasparini 1,2
Food preferences are shaped by a high number of environmental, cultural, and nutritional factors, including genetic ones
We hypothesized a possible role of this gene in the regulation of the food reward response since its variants were linked to differential activation of the cuneus, an area possibly involved in central reward processing [17]. These results represent a step in understanding the biological bases of food liking and suggest that the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) approach may be useful in identifying novel candidate genes for food preferences