The DNA of Thanksgiving

23andMe THE DNA OF THANKSGIVING How do genetics influence what 23andMe customers are eating for Thanksgiving? TRUE OR FALSE? Overeating on Thanksgiving has more to do with feeling drowsy than tryptophan in turkey meat. TRUE. Overeating is usually the main culprit. There's no more tryptophan in turkey than there is in many other meats. Research suggests that people with certain genes have a tendency to overeat. SWEET TOOTH Do you crave sweets constantly? Several studies have shown that some people are more likely than others to prefer sweet foods, and it's not your fault. About 26% of 23andMe customers have a genetic predisposition to prefer sugary foods. RED WINE = RED FACE A flushing reaction to alcohol is almost entirely caused by your genetic makeup. The good news is that people who have an extreme reaction are also less likely to become alcohol dependent. NO THANKS Approximately 25% of people are "taste blind" to the bitter tastes present in brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage. A whopping 68% of 23andMe customers detect bitter tastes. AVERSE TO CILANTRO? To people with a certain genetic makeup, cilantro tastes soapy. 23andMe found that a higher percentage of women (57%) than men (43%) pick up on the soapy taste. BUZZ-WORTHY 34% of 23andMe customers carry a genetic variant associated with higher-than-average caffeine consumption. While 49% are fast metabolizers of caffeine. JUST FOR FUN 42% of 23andMe customers can detect the asparagus metabolite smell in their urine. This smelling super power is due to variants in a region of the genome containing olfactory receptor genes. SOURCES: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2151163/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2147592/ http://genetics.thetech.org/original_news/news90/ 23andMe http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=Search&term=10052456/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=Search&term=10441588/ http://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/cilantro-love-hate-genetic-trait/ 23andMe customer data collected from 23andMe customers who consented to research. %3D