Research

Hormonal

Loss-of-function mutations in the central melanocortin system (specifically MC4R, POMC, or AgRP pathways) consistently increase fat preference and decrease carbohydrate preference in both rodents and humans.

For individuals with specific genetic variants affecting the melanocortin system, there is a biological predisposition toward higher fat preference and lower carbohydrate preference. Recognizing this can help in selecting dietary strategies that align with these preferences or manage them through environmental control.

StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
Therefore, loss-of-function mutations in the central melanocortin system consistently increased fat preference and reduced carbohydrate preference, in rodents and humans.
Tsutomu Sasaki · Nutrients · 2017

Why this rating

The paper cites consistent findings across multiple genetic models (human MC4R mutations, Pomc-null mice, Ay/a mice) showing the same directional change in preference.

Source

Neural and Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Controlling the Quality of Feeding Behavior: Diet Selection and Feeding Patterns

Tsutomu Sasaki · Nutrients · 2017

DOI 10.3390/nu9101151

narrative_reviewCited 32×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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