Have you ever wondered why some people simply cannot resist sweet treats?<\/p>\n
Every once in a while we all reach for the sweet jar, however, some people crave sweet treats more often than others.<\/p>
This urge to eat sugary food is often seen as a personal weakness; however, a study titled The human sweet tooth<\/em> suggests that you can, in fact, blame, the genes you receive from your mother and father for your so-called \u2018sweet tooth.\u2019<\/p>\n A gene coded TAS1R2 is responsible for how we perceive taste.<\/p> \u201cDifferent variants of the TAS1R2 gene allow us to taste sugary and sweet foods differently,\u201d said Dr Danny Meyersfeld, CEO of DNAlysis Biotechnology.<\/p>\n \u201cThe variants of the gene allow us to perceive sweet foods differently which is why some people need more sugar than others to satisfy their sweet tooth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n Emergency service leaves nothing to chance this Easter<\/a><\/p>\n #EasterWeekend: Know the busiest routes and times on SA roads<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2015 the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia conducted a study where they tested pairs of identical and fraternal twins, as well as unpaired individuals, to find out how they perceived sweetness.<\/p>\n Each person was given both natural and synthetic sugars to taste and rate the intensity.<\/p>\n Researchers were able to determine how their genes differed in comparison to how they perceived the intensity of the sugar.<\/p>\n The results of the study indicated that genetic factors account for about 30 per cent of the person-to-person variance in sweet taste perception.<\/p>\n Individuals with this gene variant and who perceive sweetness as low intensity may be inclined to reach for another piece of cake, simply because their system has not realised that they have eaten sugar.<\/p>\n However, even though this can be explained \u2018scientifically\u2019 it is not a reason to binge on sweet treats this Easter.<\/p>\n \u201cOur genes provide a personalised guideline for what we should be eating and sugar is definitely a food that we should approach with caution,\u201d said Dr Meyersfeld.<\/p>\n Information reecived from www.dnalysis.co.za.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za <\/a><\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or\u00a0Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist)\u00a0kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Remember to visit the Germiston City News on the following social media platforms:<\/p>\n Facebook<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n YouTube\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Or add the GCN on\u00a0<\/b><\/span>WhatsApp 079 406 1181<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0BBM (BBM Pin: 7F102137)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>today, to get all the latest news.<\/p>\n Catch-up on more local news with our sister newspapers\u00a0<\/span>Bedfordview Edenvale News<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Alberton Record<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Kempton Express<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n