Sunday 15 January 2012

Your genes help decide if you like grapefruit!


We each have 25 “bitter” taste receptors and each has its own gene. The thing is, they aren’t all active genes. So, we vary greatly individually on which bitter tastes we enjoy. You enjoying a flavor basically depends on which receptor's genes are turned on or off.
The way bitter flavors work is different than sweet and salty flavors since we all tend to handle those better than the various bitter flavors.
Enjoying bitter flavors or not is in our ancestry. If your ancestor hunters and gathereres grew near a certain poisonous and bitter plant, then the your genes are turned off to those bitterness genes, too.
This was a safefguard for our ancestors. It meant that they didn't enjoy the taste of things that could kill them. (Imagine that!)
Research shows that those who are more sensitive to bitter tastes eat 25% fewer vegetables, which could lead to certain cancers and diseases!
source: OMG

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