London: In what could help millions of obese
people struggling to find an `effective diet`, American
scientist have claimed that a simple DNA test can now predict
whether someone is more likely to lose weight on a low fat
diet.
The Stanford University study, which looked at how well
people with different genes fared on different weight-loss
diets, showed those who took the best diet suited to their
genes lost three times more weight than others.
For their study, the researchers analysed data from 101
white Caucasian women who provided DNA from a swab of their
cheek cells, the BBC reported.
The women were divided into three groups and were advised
to have different diets. The diets were very low carbohydrate,
low carbohydrate with high protein, and low or very low fat.
A year after, the researchers found that those on a diet
which matched their genotype lost 2-3 times more weight over
12 months compared with those on the "wrong" diet.
Presenting their study at an American Heart Association
conference, researchers, however, said their findings were
preliminary and need much more confirmation before they could
be used commercially.
It has long been known that people react to certain
nutrients differently according to their genetic makeup.
Lactose intolerance, for example, is more common among Asians
and Africans than of people of North European descent, the
report said.
Meanwhile, British experts pointed out that the study had
looked at a very small number of people and did not make clear
what genes were involved.
Prof Christine Williams, from the University of Reading,
said: "This is a very intriguing study - though very small."
She said it would be useful to get a better understanding
of what genes were involved.
"It fits pretty well with some of our own studies which
show that certain genotypes are more responsive than others to
certain types of fats, eg diets high in omega-3 fatty acids,"
she added.
PTI