As a kid, most of us are not fond of vegetables. But, if you still don't like it as a grown-up, then it might be on the genes! A study shows that it is difficult for some people to eat vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage because of a particular gene that makes compounds in some vegetables taste particularly bitter. Those individuals may also have a similar unlikeness to dark chocolate, coffee, and beer, as well. Humans are born with two copies of a taste gene called TAS2R38 who are sensitive to some kinds of foods. However, those people who inherit two copies of the variant called AVI are not sensitive to the bitterness of these chemicals. Researchers investigated the possibility that this association existed in people with two or more cardiovascular disease risk factors, so they conducted a secondary analysis of data using a sample from a previous study.
The average age of the respondents was 52. More than 70 percent of them were female. They found that people with the PAV form of the gene were more than 2 1/2 times as likely to rank in the bottom half of vegetables consumed. This study could change how doctors approach people who are advised to change their diet to have a healthier cardiovascular system. To learn more about this interesting study, read here.
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