A Genome-Wide Association Study in isolated populations reveals new genes associated to common food likings

TAS1R2 rs35874116 Associations with Taste, Diet, and Health in an Italian Population

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The TAS1R2 SNP rs35874116 has previously been associated with sweet taste, diet, and health status, although never comprehensively in a single study. Also, associations between TAS1R2 and sweet taste might be body mass index (BMI)-dependent. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of rs35874116 and sweet taste intensity and liking, food liking, and diet and health status whilst considering BMI.

METHODS

Five-hundred and fifty-four participants were recruited. Linear regression models were used to explore rs35874116 associations with sweet taste intensity and liking, food liking, and diet and health status. A secondary analysis stratified participants by BMI <25/≥25 kg/m2.

RESULTS

The rs35874116 wildtype was associated with increased sweet taste intensity (p = 0.0345, B 1.29, SE 0.61) and liking (p = 0.021, B 0.25, SE 0.11). However, these associations only remained in BMI ≥25 individuals (intensity: p = 0.037, B 1.29, SE 0.61, liking: p = 0.008, B 0.46, SE 0.17). It was also associated with decreased diet quality (p = 0.03, B -0.27, SE 0.13) and reduced free sugar consumption but increased saturated fat consumption in BMI ≥25 individuals (free sugars: p = 0.0416, B -0.8, SE 0.38, saturated fat: p = 0.031, B 1.38, SE 0.62). There was no association with the mean liking score for sweet foods, although there were some associations with individual foods, which require further investigation. There were no associations with health status.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed an association between the rs35874116 wildtype and an increased intensity and liking of the sweet taste and a corresponding worse overall dietary quality. This study adds to previous evidence regarding how associations between TAS1R2 and sweet taste are BMI-dependent.

Genetic determinants of food preferences: a systematic review of observational studies

BACKGROUND

Over the last decade, the results of several studies have indicated that adults' food preferences, consumption, and dietary choices vary depending on their genotype characteristics. However, the results of studies related to genes and polymorphisms involved in this phenomenon are contradictory. This study is a systematic review designed to evaluate the genetic determinants of food preferences.

METHODS

This study was conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Searches were conducted to identify articles testing the impact of genotypes on food choices, preferences, and intake in healthy adults. The search included all relevant keywords, and studies published between 1/1/1994 and October 2022 were considered. We assessed the quality of included studies and evaluated the risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies.

RESULTS

A total of 8,510 records were identified through our search method, and finally, 50 studies were included in this study. The majority of the studies evaluated the association of genetic variants with preferences for macronutrients, sweet, bitter, and fatty foods. The results of our study suggest a significant correlation between TAS2R38 variants (rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939) and bitter and sweet taste preferences. Additionally, we found a considerable association between the T102C polymorphism of the 5-HT2A receptor gene and a higher intake of protein, and rs1761667 (CD36) was associated with fat preference.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this study revealed a significant association between certain genetic variants and food preferences among adults.

Leveraging genetic data for predicting consumer choices of alcoholic products

Purpose

Food choices profoundly affect one's dietary, nutritional and health outcomes. Using alcoholic beverages as a case study, the authors assess the potential of genetic data in predicting consumers' food choices combined with conventional socio-demographic data.

Design/methodology/approach

A discrete choice experiment was conducted to elicit the underlying preferences of 484 participants from seven provinces in China. By linking three types of data (—data from the choice experiment, socio-demographic information and individual genotyping data) of the participants, the authors employed four machine learning-based classification (MLC) models to assess the performance of genetic information in predicting individuals' food choices.

Findings

The authors found that the XGBoost algorithm incorporating both genetic and socio-demographic data achieves the highest prediction accuracy (77.36%), significantly outperforming those using only socio-demographic data (permutation test p-value = 0.033). Polygenic scores of several behavioral traits (e.g. depression and height) and genetic variants associated with bitter taste perceptions (e.g. TAS2R5 rs2227264 and TAS2R38 rs713598) offer contributions comparable to that of standard socio-demographic factors (e.g. gender, age and income).

Originality/value

This study is among the first in the economic literature to empirically demonstrate genetic factors' important role in predicting consumer behavior. The findings contribute fresh insights to the realm of random utility theory and warrant further consumer behavior studies integrating genetic data to facilitate developments in precision nutrition and precision marketing.

Regulator of G-Protein Signalling 9: A New Candidate Gene for Sweet Food Liking?

Genetics plays an important role in individual differences in food liking, which influences food choices and health. Sweet food liking is a complex trait and has been associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and related comorbidities. This genome-wide association study (GWAS) aimed to investigate the genetics of sweet food liking using two adult discovery cohorts (n = 1109, n = 373) and an independent replication cohort (n = 1073). In addition, we tested the association of our strongest result on parameters related to behaviour (food adventurousness (FA) and reward dependence (RD) and health status (BMI and blood glucose). The results demonstrate a novel strong association between the Regulator of G-Protein Signalling 9 (RGS9I) gene, strongest single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs58931966 (p-value 7.05 × 10^-9 in the combined sample of discovery and replication), and sweet food liking, with the minor allele (A) being associated with a decreased sweet food liking. We also found that the A allele of the rs58931966 SNP was associated with decreased FA and RD, and increased BMI and blood glucose (p-values < 0.05). Differences were highlighted in sex-specific analysis on BMI and glucose. Our results highlight a novel genetic association with food liking and are indicative of genetic variation influencing the psychological-biological drivers of food preference. If confirmed in other studies, such genetic associations could allow a greater understanding of chronic disease management from both a habitual dietary intake and reward-related perspective.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The American Heart Association, through its Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update with review of published literature through the year before writing. The 2023 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort in 2022 by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. The American Heart Association strives to further understand and help heal health problems inflicted by structural racism, a public health crisis that can significantly damage physical and mental health and perpetuate disparities in access to health care, education, income, housing, and several other factors vital to healthy lives. This year's edition includes additional COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) publications, as well as data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, with an enhanced focus on health equity across several key domains.

RESULTS

Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Large-scale GWAS of food liking reveals genetic determinants and genetic correlations with distinct neurophysiological traits

We present the results of a GWAS of food liking conducted on 161,625 participants from the UK-Biobank. Liking was assessed over 139 specific foods using a 9-point scale. Genetic correlations coupled with structural equation modelling identified a multi-level hierarchical map of food-liking with three main dimensions: "Highly-palatable", "Acquired" and "Low-caloric". The Highly-palatable dimension is genetically uncorrelated from the other two, suggesting that independent processes underlie liking high reward foods. This is confirmed by genetic correlations with MRI brain traits which show with distinct associations. Comparison with the corresponding food consumption traits shows a high genetic correlation, while liking exhibits twice the heritability. GWAS analysis identified 1,401 significant food-liking associations which showed substantial agreement in the direction of effects with 11 independent cohorts. In conclusion, we created a comprehensive map of the genetic determinants and associated neurophysiological factors of food-liking.

Sensory Capacities and Eating Behavior: Intriguing Results from a Large Cohort of Italian Individuals

Eating behavior (EB) is a complex system influenced by many factors, but an undisputed role is played by the senses. In this work, we examined the effect of the sensory capacities on EB in 1152 Italian adult individuals. After administering a questionnaire on EB and assessing sensory performance through standard audiometric, olfactory, and taste tests, the prevalence of reduced sensory capacities (RSCs) and the correlation with selected risk factors were calculated. Regression models, structural equation modelling, and conditional recursive partitioning were used to investigate the relationship between variables. Around 70% of the subjects show reduced capacities in at least one sense, with taste being the most prevalent (55.21%). Male sex, aging, and low educational level are risk factors for RSCs. The increased number of senses with reduced capacities is a predictor of diminished food adventurousness and lower liking for vegetables, fish, and alcoholic beverages, while reduced capacities (RCs) in taste is a predictor of lower liking for alcoholic beverages and sweets. Overall, in addition to providing an overall picture of RSCs in Italian samples, our study reveals the association of RSCs with EB variables. This finding could have a relevant role in influencing individuals’ dietary habits and, therefore, health status.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2022 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2022 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population and an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, and the global burden of cardiovascular disease and healthy life expectancy.

RESULTS

Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with taste and food preferences of the Hungarian general and Roma populations

It is reasonable to suppose that poor diet underlies the unfavorable health status of the Roma population of Europe. Previously in the framework of a complex health survey, fruit and vegetable consumption, quantity of sugar added, salting frequency; bitter, salty, sweet and fat taste preferences were evaluated of Hungarian (HG, n = 410) and Roma (HR, n = 387) populations. In the present study the associations of taste and food preferences with TAS1R3, CD36, SCNN1B, TRPV1, TAS2R38, TAS2R19 and CA6 polymorphisms were tested in the same samples. Genotype frequencies did not differ significantly between the two populations. Although we initially observed associations between certain genetic polymorphisms and taste and food preferences in our study samples, none of the p values remained significant after the multiple test correction. However, some of our results could be considered promising (0.05<corrected p < 0.20), which showed potential ethnicity-specific effects (CA6 rs2274333 with salty taste and raw kohlrabi preference, CD36 rs1527483 with fat taste preference, TAS2R19 rs10772420 with grapefruit preference, and TAS2R38 rs713598 with quantity of sugar added). Our results may suggest that genetics may mediate food preferences, and individuals with different ethnic background may require personalized interventions to modify diet. Further investigations with greater sample sizes are essential to explore the effect of these genetic variants on taste and food preferences.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2021 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2021 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and further evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors related to cardiovascular disease.

RESULTS

Each of the 27 chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policy makers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Obesity Genomics and Metabolomics: a Nexus of Cardiometabolic Risk

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Obesity is a significant international public health epidemic with major downstream consequences on morbidity and mortality. While lifestyle factors contribute, there is an evolving understanding of genomic and metabolomic pathways involved with obesity and its relationship with cardiometabolic risk. This review will provide an overview of some of these important findings from both a biologic and clinical perspective.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have identified polygenic risk scores and metabolomic biomarkers of obesity and related outcomes, which have also highlighted biological pathways, such as the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) pathway that is dysregulated in this disease. These biomarkers may help in personalizing obesity interventions and for mitigation of future cardiometabolic risk. A multifaceted approach is necessary to impact the growing epidemic of obesity and related diseases. This will likely include incorporating precision medicine approaches with genomic and metabolomic biomarkers to personalize interventions and improve risk prediction.

Strong association between the 12q24 locus and sweet taste preference in the Japanese population revealed by genome-wide meta-analysis

The sweet taste preference of humans is an important adaptation to ensure the acquisition of carbohydrate nutrition; however, overconsumption of sweet foods can potentially lead to diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Although previous studies have suggested that interindividual variation of human sweet taste preference is heritable, genetic loci associated with the trait have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we genotyped 12,312 Japanese participants using the HumanCore-12+ Custom BeadChip or the HumanCore-24 Custom BeadChip microarrays. The sweet taste preference of the participants was surveyed via an internet-based questionnaire, resulting in a five-point scale of sweet taste preference. The genome-wide meta-analysis of the Japanese participants revealed a strong association between the 12q24 locus and sweet taste preference scale (P = 2.8 × 10^-70). The lead variant rs671 is monoallelic in non-East Asian populations and is located in the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene, encoding an enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism. The association between the minor allele of rs671 and sweet taste preference was attenuated by adjusting for alcohol drinking. The subgroup analysis showed that the effect of rs671 on sweet taste preference was greater in males than in females. In conclusion, we found an association between the 12q24 locus and sweet taste preference in the Japanese population, and showed that the adjustment for drinking habits attenuated the association. This novel genetic association may provide new clues to elucidate mechanisms determining sweet taste preferences.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2020 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports on the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2020 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, metrics to assess and monitor healthy diets, an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, a focus on the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and further evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors, implementation strategies, and implications of the American Heart Association's 2020 Impact Goals.

RESULTS

Each of the 26 chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policy makers, media professionals, clinicians, healthcare administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Personalized Nutrition: Are We There Yet?

The human genome has been proposed to contribute to interpersonal variability in the way we respond to nutritional intake. However, personalized diets solely based on gene-nutrient interactions have not lived up to their expectations to date. Advances in microbiome research have indicated that a science-based generation of a personalized diet based on a combination of clinical and microbial features may constitute a promising new approach enabling accurate prediction of dietary responses. In addition, scientific advances in our understanding of defined dietary components and their effects on human physiology led to the incorporation and testing of defined diets as preventive and treatment approaches for diseases, such as epilepsy, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, exciting new studies show that tailored diet regiments have the potential to modulate pharmaceutical treatment efficacy in cancer treatment. Overall, the true therapeutic potential of nutritional interventions is coming to light but is also facing substantial challenges in understanding mechanisms of activity, optimization of dietary interventions for specific human subpopulations, and elucidation of adverse effects potentially stemming from some dietary components in a number of individuals.

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

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.

A genome-wide association study of bitter and sweet beverage consumption

Except for drinking water, most beverages taste bitter or sweet. Taste perception and preferences are heritable and determinants of beverage choice and consumption. Consumption of several bitter- and sweet-tasting beverages has been implicated in development of major chronic diseases. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of self-reported bitter and sweet beverage consumption among ~370 000 participants of European ancestry, using a two-staged analysis design. Bitter beverages included coffee, tea, grapefruit juice, red wine, liquor and beer. Sweet beverages included artificially and sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) and non-grapefruit juices. Five loci associated with total bitter beverage consumption were replicated (in/near GCKR, ABCG2, AHR, POR and CYP1A1/2). No locus was replicated for total sweet beverage consumption. Sub-phenotype analyses targeting the alcohol, caffeine and sweetener components of beverages yielded additional loci: (i) four loci for bitter alcoholic beverages (GCKR, KLB, ADH1B and AGBL2); (ii) five loci for bitter non-alcoholic beverages (ANXA9, AHR, POR, CYP1A1/2 and CSDC2); (iii) 10 loci for coffee; six novel loci (SEC16B, TMEM18, OR8U8, AKAP6, MC4R and SPECC1L-ADORA2A); (iv) FTO for SSBs. Of these 17 replicated loci, 12 have been associated with total alcohol consumption, coffee consumption, plasma caffeine metabolites or BMI in previous GWAS; none was involved in known sweet and bitter taste transduction pathways. Our study suggests that genetic variants related to alcohol consumption, coffee consumption and obesity were primary genetic determinants of bitter and sweet beverage consumption. Whether genetic variants related to taste perception are associated with beverage consumption remains to be determined.

Genetic determinants of beverage consumption: Implications for nutrition and health

Beverages make important contributions to nutritional intake and their role in health has received much attention. This review focuses on the genetic determinants of common beverage consumption and how research in this field is contributing insight to what and how much we consume and why this genetic knowledge matters from a research and public health perspective. The earliest efforts in gene-beverage behavior mapping involved genetic linkage and candidate gene analysis but these approaches have been largely replaced by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). GWAS have identified biologically plausible loci underlying alcohol and coffee drinking behavior. No GWAS has identified variants specifically associated with consumption of tea, juice, soda, wine, beer, milk or any other common beverage. Thus far, GWAS highlight an important behavior-reward component (as opposed to taste) to beverage consumption which may serve as a potential barrier to dietary interventions. Loci identified have been used in Mendelian randomization and gene×beverage interaction analysis of disease but results have been mixed. This research is necessary as it informs the clinical relevance of SNP-beverage associations and thus genotype-based personalized nutrition, which is gaining interest in the commercial and public health sectors.