DNA May Be A Determinant Of Human Genetic Makeup, Says New Research

An appalling question bothering the minds of the medical researchers is that, why is the case of obesity still prevalent, in spite of the many dietary advise, awareness promotions and the sincerity in the attempt being made by people to shed weight? However, answer to this question may be spotted with a discovery made by researchers at Texas A&M University in College City.

The latest study believed that different people respond to different diets due to their genetic preferences.

In other words, the working capability of a particular diet can be found in our genes. This is the point noted in an intensive study recently published in a genetics journal.

The chief researcher of the study, David Threadgill, Ph.D., of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and the foremost author of the recent publication, William T. Barrington, gave a well-detailed analysis of the study.

Threadgill and his colleagues commenced the research by making an observation which suggested that the rate of American population suffering from metabolic syndrome (a term used for a group of a cardiometabolic constituent), keeps increasing, in defiance of the national dietary guidelines.

Threadgill’s attributed this occurrence to the dietary guidelines which are placed on the erroneous theory that there is only one size that goes with everyone. It doesn’t matter whether the dietary advice is given by the United States government or some other health agencies, Threadgill continues, the guidelines will still give the impression based on the postulation that only one diet will work for everyone, regardless of the genes.

The researcher was unhappy to admit that the case of obesity endemic is too strong and has been able to defile dietary rules, making it ineffective. Threadgill, in collaboration with colleagues, guessed that the variance in individual genetic makeup might determine the way someone reacts to a diet.

The researchers carried out their guesses in mice. This is because, according to the authors’ explanations as written in their paper, mice have the similar genetic makeup to that which are found in humans, and their preferences to build cardiometabolic sicknesses like heart disease and diabetes.

Distinct diets for genetically distinct mice

The experiment carried out in the mice was meant to buttress the researchers’ hypothesis. They created four genetically distinct breeds of mice to test their hypothesis, and they fed them with four different types of diets.

Four common genealogically human diets were replicated in the designed diet categories; the Japanese diet, the Maasai/ketogenic diet, the American/Western diet, and the Mediterranean diet.

The American diet was rich in purified carbs and fats, while the Mediterranean diet contained the addition of red wine extract and fiber. The Japanese diet had green tea extract and rice, and the ketogenic diet was enriched with protein and fat nutrients but contained few carbs.

They merged fiber capacity and paired bioactive components which are expected to be critical in disease, Barrington explained. This method aimed to make the diets of the rodents to resemble the humans’ own as much as possible.

The feeding of the mice also consisted a regulated diet with a touch of ideal chow. The researchers supervised the cardiometabolic health of the mice, measuring their blood pressure, sugar contents in their blood, the level of their cholesterol, and staying alert in case the signs of a fatty liver appeared. They also supervised the levels of physical endeavor and the appetite and food consumption of the mice.

Going by these findings, we must agree that one size does not suit everyone.

The conclusion of the research showed that the three substitutes of healthier diets apparently worked for the majority of the mice, but the fourth genetic breed reacted poorly to the Japanese diet.

Barrington reported that whereas the mice did not respond very well to all of the other diets, their reaction on this diet was unimpressive, with elevated fat in the liver and signs of liver damage.

In the case of ketogenic diet, two genetic breeds reacted positively to it, but two reacted negatively to it.

He calls this situation ‘skinny-fat’ in humans where one person will be skinny on the outside but possesses accumulated fat on the inside.

The experiment reports stated that American diet generated obesity and metabolic syndrome in the majority of the mice. But the Mediterranean diet had assorted results, with some mice retaining their health while others added weight.

In conclusion, Barrington explained that there is a possibility of a geographical uniqueness hinged on the diets that our forefathers consumed. However, he admitted that the researchers do not have enough evidence to prove this assertion.