Having a specific variation in the GLUT2 gene - which controls the entry of sugar into the cells - may explain why some people crave sugary foods far more than others, according to the online edition of Physiological Genomics.
Researchers analysing blood samples, and food and beverage preferences of two distinct groups - older adults who were either overweight or obese and generally healthy young adults who were mostly lean - found that those with the GLUT2 variation in either group consumed more sugars than those without the variation.
"These findings may help explain some of the individual variations in people's preference for sugary foods. It's especially important given the soaring rates of obesity and diabetes throughout much of the world," said study senior researcher Ahmed El-Sohemy, of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, Canada.
"We have found that a variation in the GLUT2 gene is associated with a higher intake of sugars among different populations." – (HealthDay News, May 2008)
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