Genetic influences on diet in young Swedish adults: a twin study

Background:

Dietary choices are shaped by both genetic predisposition and environmental exposures, yet the relative influence of these factors remains insufficiently understood across populations and age groups. Young adulthood represents a critical period when long-term eating habits take form, and clarifying the determinants of dietary behavior in this life stage may inform strategies to promote sustained health.

Objective:

This twin study aimed to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to food, energy and nutrient intakes, and taste preferences in young adults in Sweden.

Methods:

The study included 2,832 Swedish twins (858 monozygotic and 1,974 dizygotic; mean age 24 years; 59.5% female). Participants completed a validated dietary questionnaire assessing food-intake frequencies and taste preferences. Additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) influences on a priori dietary indices, specific food and nutrient intakes, and taste preferences were estimated using classical ACE twin models and nested models fitted in OpenMx.

Results:

Heritability estimates across dietary traits ranged from 20% to 61%. Genetic influences on overall dietary pattern indices exceeded 40%. Heritability varied across food groups (e.g., 61% for venison; 24% for potatoes) and nutrient intakes (50% for fiber; 20% for sodium), indicating differing degrees of genetic impact across dietary components. Taste preferences also showed substantial genetic contributions (21-61%), with the strongest effects observed for bitter foods (e.g., black coffee, grapefruit), followed by sweet foods (e.g., jam/marmalade).

Conclusions:

This large-scale twin study provides a comprehensive overview of genetic and environmental influences on dietary behavior in young adults, showing substantial genetic and nonshared environmental contributions across diverse dietary traits. These results provide a foundation for future research on diet-disease relationships and may support the development of prevention and intervention strategies, including emerging precision-nutrition approaches.