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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Anti-vampire diet genetic?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anyone who’s ever watched a horror movie knows that you can fight off evil vampires with a simple clove of garlic. So with a stretch of the imagination perhaps you see the connection between survival of the fittest and a love of eating garlic! Scientists have now discovered that a preference for certain foods including garlic is connected to our genetic make up.
A new study involving 3262 twins in the UK has shown strong evidence that food preferences are largely governed by hereditary rather than social and environmental factors, especially when it comes to a taste for garlic, coffee and fruit and vegetables. The researchers at King’s College, London, found the strongest hereditary components were for fruit and vegetables (49 per cent), garlic (46 per cent), coffee (41 per cent) and red meat (39 per cent).
The good news is if you’re born to love vegetables you’ll have lower risk of a diet related chronic diseases. And as we’ve already concluded- garlic lovers will have less vampire trouble. But, what about the people without the “fruit and veggie loving gene”?? Are they doomed to ill health? And does this mean that well meaning public health campaigns to encourage healthier diets are doomed too?
