The dietary choice to go vegetarian may be influenced by genes. Whether it’s for health, moral or religious reasons, Europeans are shifting away from traditional meat to plant-based alternatives. For many, that means adopting a vegetarian diet.
But it’s easier for some than others. Science may now know why we choose the food we put on our plates.
Going meatless
A study published in ‘PLoS ONE’ claims that we can blame our genes for not being able to stick to a vegetarian diet. “At this time we can say is [sic] that genetics plays a significant role in vegetarianism and that some people may be genetically better suited for a vegetarian diet than others,” lead author Dr Nabeel Yaseen, professor emeritus of pathology at Northwestern University in the United States that led the study, told ‘CNN’.
Researchers analysed and compared genetic data from about 5 300 vegetarians and 329 000 meat-eaters. They also used questionnaires that asked respondents to recount their food intake over the past year and over 24-hour periods. Vegetarians were defined as people who didn’t eat animal flesh or products derived from it. “A large proportion of self-described vegetarians actually report consuming meat products when responding to detailed questionnaires,” explained Dr Yaseen. “This suggests that many people who would like to be vegetarian are not able to do so, and our data suggest that genetics is at least part of the reason.”
The research team identified three genes that are associated with the choice of going vegetarian and sticking to it. These genes are found on a chromosome that includes genes involved in brain function and lipid metabolism – a complex process where fats are broken down to produce energy.
The study is the first ever to uncover a link between vegetarianism and genetics. “Are all humans capable of subsisting long term on a strict vegetarian diet? This is a question that has not been seriously studied,” commented Dr Yaseen in a Northwestern University news release. “It seems there are more people who would like to be vegetarian than actually are, and we think it’s because there is something hard-wired here that people may be missing.”
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Vegetarians and meat-eaters
Why do so many people still eat meat? “I think with meat, there’s something similar,” he added. “Perhaps you have a certain component — I’m speculating a lipid component — that makes you need it and crave it.”
Interestingly, Dr Yaseen has attempted to become vegetarian a few times. “The question is,” he told ‘The Washington Post’, “‘Is there something there that is hard-wired that not everyone can do?’”
More information: CORDIS
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