Taste Receptor Genes and Snacking Patterns

Consider your snack cravings: do you reach for savoury crisps or sweet chocolate?

Your podcast host will always choose sweet, which could well be linked to her genetic makeup. Elie Chamoun, researcher at the University of Guelph, investigated whether genetic variants in taste receptors influence the snacks chosen by children. He found nearly 80 percent of the children in the study carried at least one of the genotypes that could predispose them to choosing sweet or fatty snacks. Elie joins us to discuss why it's important to see how genetics can be related to snacking habits and how this could influence personalised nutrition choices in the future.