Can't Stop Eating Chocolate? Blame Your Genes

If you've ever wondered why you polish off chocolate bars despite knowing the impact on your weight; if you're frustrated that your partner can easily eat fruits and vegetables while you crave more and more pastries; if you've resolved a thousand times to quit coffee/sugar/dairy products and failed, perhaps now you have someone to blame.

A new study to be presented at the 2017 Experimental Biology Meeting, a scientific conference that opened yesterday and will run until April 26, sheds light on our food preferences. The study, conducted by Dr. Silvia Bresciano from the University of Madrid, found that genetic changes influence how we develop food preferences.

"Most people find it difficult to change their eating habits, even when they know it's in their best interest," says Bresciano. "Our study is the first to describe how brain genes influence the dietary choices of healthy individuals."

The researchers analyzed the genomes of 818 men and women of European descent and gathered information about their diets. The results: brain genes play a significant role in our diets. For example, people who consumed significant amounts of chocolate (and often boasted a larger waist circumference as a result) had certain types of the oxytocin receptor gene, while genes known to be associated with obesity were linked to lower consumption of vegetables and dietary fibers. A connection was also observed between certain genes and foods with high fat or salt content.

These findings, the researchers say, could be used by doctors to do their utmost to reduce the risk of diseases like diabetes and cancer by tailoring a preventive dietary plan suited to the patient's unique needs, based on their genetic information.

The researchers plan to conduct similar studies in other ethnic groups to ensure the findings are relevant to them as well. Additionally, they hope to discover whether genetic changes related to dietary preference are associated with an increased risk of certain diseases.