Gender and genes play key role in shaping dietary preferences

London, Nov 22 : Genes play a key role in shaping your dietary preferences, claim Danish scientists.

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen Hospital, Denmark, studied 600 sets of twins to try to disentangle the influence of heredity from environment - and reached the conclusion "you eat what you are."

From the study, it was found that controlling influences on food preference were different in men and women, reports the Independent.

If one female twin liked either juice or eggs, her sister was more likely to share her preference if she was identical, but the same correlation did not hold true for male twins.

Also a liking for fruit, vegetables, potatoes, fish, poultry and sweets was more likely to be shared by twins raised together.

According to the boffins, almost half of dietary preferences are inherited, while a childhood environment shared by siblings also influenced fondness for certain foods.

The results, however, show that eating habits can be influenced by factors that are neither inherited nor originate in the childhood home.

The study has been published in the Journal of the American Society of Nutrition.

ANI