Love of Pork Might be Genetics Based, Studies Show

There are tons of different types of food out there in the world, and a good slab of it is meat. But have you ever wondered why carnivores out there enjoy the taste of pork so much while others look upon you with pure disgust as you suck back every last strip of bacon on your plate?

Research conducted by Duke University Medical Center, Monell Chemical Senses Center and three Norwegian institutions show that it might be a genetic trait.

They conducted an experiment where they requested that a group of people with different levels of a particular odor receptor gene to take a whiff and a couple bites of certain pork products and rate them. The goal was to gauge sensitivity to androstenone, a testosterone-like steroid found in male pigs.

Those in the study group that had a specific variation of the gene that was insensitive to androstenone, said they enjoyed the taste and the smell of the pork samples more so than the others in the group with a different variation of the receptor gene. While other members of the study, with a more sensitive receptor to androstenone, found that the pork products were disgusting.

It was concluded that meat that contained less androstenone will be more likely to sell better in markets and butcher shops. So here’s something to think about next time your stomach starts rumbling: Do you like ham? Are you fond of ribs? Do you have a unnaturally unhealthy obsession for bacon? Well that hankering may not be entirely on you. It could be your genes talking.

via: Huffington Post