November 20, 2019
Can’t stand the taste of broccoli? Have a hard time reaching your daily quota of vegetables? It may not just be pickiness; it may be down to your genes.
Researchers from the University of Kentucky School of Medicine say it comes down to the taste gene TAS2R38. We each inherit one copy of the gene from our mother, and one from our father. The TAS2R38 gene encodes for a protein that is present in our taste receptors and lets us taste bitterness. There are two variants of this gene, one variant called AVI is less sensitive to bitter flavours, and another called PAV that is sensitive to bitterness. For those with two copies of the PAV variant some foods taste exceptionally bitter and unpleasant.
Green leafy vegetables have been linked with heart health, but to those people with two copies of PAV it is difficult for them to consume sufficient quantities of these vegetables as to them they taste awful. Further studies will be required to see if there are ways to make green leafy vegetables more palatable for those who are genetically predisposed to dislike them, and thus help them reach their daily quota of health giving nutrients.
Source: BBC News
Read more: http://ow.ly/Bvn350xctLC
