If You Love Fatty Foods, Your Genes May Be To Blame

Do you crave fatty foods?  Your genes may be to blame.  A new study shows that people who have more of a gene, identified as CD36, are more sensitive to the taste of fat than people who have less of it.  In fact, people who had the highest levels of CD36 were 8 times more likely to detect fat in food than people who had less of the gene.

Do Our Genes Determine How Much Fat We Eat?

These new findings are being evaluated alongside recent research into the same gene performed on mice.  In those animals, a high fat diet led to a decreased production of CD36 and a decreased sensitivity to fat. Senior investigator Nada A. Abumrad, PhD, explains more in a University of Washington publication.

"It may be, as was shown recently, that as people consume more fat, they become less sensitive to it, requiring more intake for the same satisfaction. What we will need to determine in the future is whether our ability to detect fat in foods influences our fat intake, which clearly would have an impact on obesity."

How to Manage Fat Cravings

So what do you do when you find yourself craving fatty foods?  Some fats are better than others.  Small amounts of "good fat" can be part of a healthy diet.  Look for foods that contain poly or monounsaturated fats such as salmon, walnuts or olive oil.  Try to avoid saturated fat or trans fats such as butter, ice cream, and foods that contain palm or coconut oil.  And to maintain a healthy diet, try to keep your total fat intake to less than 35% of your total caloric intake each day.