Research presented on July 27 at NUTRITION 2026, the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting, identified genetic variants linked to a preference for sweet and fatty flavors, and connected them to higher intake of ultra-processed foods and a greater predisposition to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The study drew on UK Biobank data, a database with genetic and dietary information from nearly half a million people in the United Kingdom. The researchers developed an approach that combined food preference questionnaires with sensory databases describing how foods taste, including sweetness, saltiness and fat content.
A higher genetic score for a sweet tooth was associated with a higher body mass index and a modestly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes; genetic predisposition toward fatty flavors was independently linked to that same risk, suggesting genetics also shapes metabolic risk through the foods we choose to eat.