EMBARGOED
UNTIL 12:01 AM EST
MAY 14, 2008
Contact: Donna Krupa
Office: (301) 634-7209
dkrupa@the-aps.org
Genetic Variation Linked To
Sugary Food Consumption
New study finds that those
with a variation in the GLUT2 gene consistently consume more sugars,
regardless of age or sex
Bethesda, MD—A new study released today in the online
edition of Physiological Genomics finds that individuals with a
specific genetic variation consistently consume more sugary foods. The study
offers the first evidence of the role that a variation in the GLUT2 gene – a
gene that controls sugar entry into the cells – has
on sugar intake, and may help explain individual preferences for foods high
in sugar.
The study was conducted by Ahmed
El-Sohemy, Karen M. Eny, Thomas M.S. Wolever and Benedicte Fontaine-Bisson,
all of the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto,
Toronto, Canada. Their study, entitled Genetic Variant in the Glucose
Transporter Type 2 (GLUT 2) is Associated with Higher Intakes of Sugars in
Two Distinct Populations, appears in the May 2008 edition of
Physiological Genomics (http://physiolgenomics.physiology.org/).
Summary of the Study
Food preferences are influenced by the environment as
well as genetics. Cravings for foods high in sugar vary from person to
person, but the reasons why are still unclear.
To better understand the mechanism, the research team
examined the effect of a common variation in a gene that controls the entry
of sugar (glucose) into cells. The gene is called glucose transporter type
2 or GLUT2.
The researchers tested the effects of the genetic
variation in two distinct populations. One population consisted of older
adults who were all either overweight or obese. The other population
consisted of generally healthy young adults who were mostly lean.
The diet of the participants in the first population
was assessed by recording all of the foods and beverages consumed over a
three day period, and repeating this 3-day food record two weeks later to
ensure that the effect was reproducible. All participants were interviewed
face-to-face during the two visits to the research centers. For the second
population, the study participants used a questionnaire that asked about the
foods and beverages typically consumed during a one month period.
Blood was drawn from each participant, and their DNA
extracted. The researchers examined the genotype distribution and compared
the food intake data each participant provided between individuals with the
variation and those without the variation in GLUT2. The DNA samples that
carried the variation in GLUT2 were associated with consuming more sugars in
both populations studied.
Findings
The results of the study showed that a genetic
variation of GLUT2 is associated with differences in the habitual
consumption of sugars both within and between two distinct populations.
Specifically:
those individuals with the GLUT2 variation consistently consumed more
sugars (sucrose (table sugar)), fructose (simple sugar such as corn syrup)
and glucose (carbohydrates), regardless of age or sex.
the two sets of food records from the older group showed that the
older individuals with the variation consumed more sugars than their
non-variant older counterparts (112± 9 vs. 86±4 grams of sugar per day and
111±8 vs. 82± 4 grams per day).
the individuals in the younger population who carried the variant
were found to consume more sweetened beverages (0.49±0.05 vs. 0.34±0.02
servings per day) and more sweets (1.45±0.10 vs. 1.08±0.05 servings per day)
than their non-variant counterparts.
there were no differences in the amount of protein, fat, starch or
alcohol that was consumed by those either with or without the variant.
Conclusions
According to Dr. El-Sohemy, the study’s senior
researcher, “We have found that a variation in the GLUT2 gene is associated
with a higher intake of sugars among different populations. 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.”
The study was funded by the Advanced Food and
Materials Network (AFMNet) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
-End-
Physiology
is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create
health or disease. The American Physiological Society (APS;
http://www.the-aps.org/press/) has been an integral part of the
scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887.
# # #
NOTE TO EDITORS: To schedule an interview with
Dr. El-Sohemy, please contact Donna Krupa at 301.634.7209 (direct dial) or
DKrupa@The-APS.org.
Key words: Physiology; Glucose transport;
Nutrigenomics
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