Genetic influences on food liking and food preference patterns in young adults: a genome-wide association study

Abstract

Genetic variation contributes to individual differences in food liking and dietary behaviour. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants associated with these traits, but most evidence comes from middle-aged and older populations. Young adulthood is a key life stage during which long-term dietary habits develop, yet the genetic basis of food liking during this period remains largely unexplored. We conducted GWAS of 97 food-liking traits and two derived principal components (PCs) in 2,784 young adults (aged 25) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The PCs captured broader plant-based/seafood (PC1) and meat-based (PC2) food preference patterns. GWAS identified 16 genome-wide significant associations across 14 individual food-liking traits and one food preference pattern (PC1). Cross-trait analyses showed that several variants were associated liking for multiple foods. For example, the lentil-associated variant rs76659918 was associated with PC1 and with liking for avocado, honey, plain yogurt, chilli peppers, aubergines, and black olives, whereas burger- and steak-associated variants were linked to multiple meat-based foods and PC2. Exploratory analyses showed that TAS2R38 bitter-sensitive alleles were associated with lower liking for Brussels sprouts, with limited evidence for associations with other traits. Comparison with food liking GWAS from the UK Biobank (aged 37-73) showed limited replication, with robust evidence only for the grapefruit juice-associated variant rs2264192. This study identifies genetic variants associated with food liking in young adulthood and suggests that genetic influences operate at both the level of individual foods and broader food preference patterns.