Do Genes Determine Whether You Will Be a Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian?

New research suggests our genes may influence the ability to adhere to a vegetarian diet, shedding light on why some find it easier than others.

Highlights:

A Northwestern Medicine study links genetics to the ability to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet
Three genes significantly linked to vegetarianism play roles in lipid metabolism and brain function
Despite the moral and religious motives to adopt vegetarianism, the global percentage remains low, possibly due to genetic constraints

From the Impossible Burger to "Meatless Mondays," it's clear that becoming meatless is popular. A person's genetic composition, however, has a factor in whether they can keep to a strict vegetarian diet, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study (). The findings pave the way for future research that could have significant ramifications for dietary advice and the manufacture of meat substitutes.

“Are all humans capable of subsisting long-term on a strict vegetarian diet? This is a question that has not been seriously studied,” said corresponding study author Dr. Nabeel Yaseen, professor emeritus of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

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‘Ever wonder why some find it easier to stick to a vegetarian diet while others crave meat? It might be in our genes! A new study from Northwestern Medicine dives deep. #vegetariandiet #geneticsofdiet’

According to Yaseen, a considerable number (48 to 64%) of self-identified "vegetarians" report consuming fish, chicken, and/or red meat, implying that environmental or biological constraints outweigh the desire to follow a vegetarian diet.

“It seems there are more people who would like to be vegetarian than are, and we think it’s because there is something hard-wired here that people may be missing.”

Genes are Involved in Lipid Metabolism and Brain Function

To see if heredity influences one's ability to follow a vegetarian diet, the researchers compared genetic data from 5,324 severe vegetarians (no fish, poultry, or red meat) to 329,455 controls. To achieve a homogeneous sample and eliminate ethnic confounding, all study participants were white Caucasian.

The study discovered three genes that are significantly linked to vegetarianism and another 31 that are potentially linked. The study discovered that several of these genes, including two of the top three (NPC1 and RMC1), are involved in lipid (fat) metabolism and/or brain function.

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“One area in which plant products differ from meat is complex lipids,” Yaseen said. “My speculation is there may be lipid component(s) present in meat that some people need. And maybe people whose genetics favor vegetarianism can synthesize these components endogenously. However, at this time, this is mere speculation and much more work needs to be done to understand the physiology of vegetarianism.”

Why Most People Consume Meat

A vegetarian diet has been adopted for religious and moral reasons, and recent research has revealed evidence for its health benefits. Moreover, despite growing popularity, vegetarians remain a small fraction of the world's population. Vegetarians, for example, make up about 3 to 4% of the population in the United States. Vegetarians account for 2.3% of adults and 1.9% of children in the United Kingdom.

This begs the question of why the majority of people still want to consume meat products. According to Yaseen, the driving element for food and drink selection is not only flavor but also how an individual's body metabolizes it. For example, most people would not find alcohol or coffee delightful the first time they tried them, but with time, one develops a taste because of how alcohol or caffeine makes them feel.

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“I think with meat, there’s something similar,” Yaseen said. “Perhaps you have a certain component - I’m speculating a lipid component - that makes you need it and crave it.”

What does it mean for folks who don't eat meat for religious or moral reasons if genetics play a role in their decision?

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“While religious and moral considerations certainly play a major role in the motivation to adopt a vegetarian diet, our data suggest that the ability to adhere to such a diet is constrained by genetics,” Yaseen said. “We hope that future studies will lead to a better understanding of the physiologic differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, thus enabling us to provide personalized dietary recommendations and to produce better meat substitutes.”

Reference:

Genetics of vegetarianism: A genome-wide association study - (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291305)

Source-Medindia