Europeans genetically programmed to consume fatty foods and alcohol

Scottish researchers have discovered that Europeans may be genetically programmed to consume fatty foods and alcohol with a greater appetite than those in the East.
Scientists at Aberdeen University have uncovered a genetic 'switch' which they believe makes Europeans far more likely to indulge in the calorie-heavy items.
Their findings – which also have implications for the treatment of depression – could open up new therapy options for the problems.
Scientists at the university’s Kosterlitz Centre compared the DNA of humans to that of mice and birds and found a genetic ‘switch’ that has remained unchanged for 300 million years.
This switch – a piece of DNA which turns genes on or off within cells – controls the galanin gene, which, when turned on in the brain, regulates appetite and thirst.
Dr Scott Davidson, who found the switch, said: “There are 25,000 genes in every cell and these are nearly identical in all mammals - what makes us different from other species, and from each other, is when, where and by how much each of these genes are turned on or off during our development as embryos and in our lifetime.
“Not all cells turn on all genes all at once – something organises which genes are turned on in different cells and we call them enhancers or switches.”
The team, led by Dr Alasdair MacKenzie, also noticed that the switch was different in some people and when they compared different racial groups they found that it had mutated and was weaker in 16% of Europeans and 30% of Asians.
Dr MacKenzie said: “The switch controls the areas of the brain which allows us to select which foods we would like to eat and if it is turned on too strongly we are more likely to crave fatty foods and alcohol.
“The fact that the weaker switch is found more frequently in Asians compared to Europeans suggests they are less inclined to select such options.
“These results give us a glimpse into early European life where brewing and dairy produce were important sources of calories during the winter months.
“Thus, a preference for food with a higher fat and alcohol content would have been important for survival. The negative effects of fat and alcohol we see today would not have mattered so much then as life expectancies were between 30 to 40 years.”
The study, published in the respected Journal of Neuropsychopharmocology, also found that changes in the same switch were linked to depression.

taken from http://local.stv.tv/aberdeen/news/262449-europeans-may-be-genetically-programmed-to-consume-fatty-foods-and-alcohol-scots-scientists-say/