245 | id == 245
245 | category_id == 18
245 | category_order == 15
245 | category_name == Weight
245 | category_color == #C47AC0
245 | slug == MTCH2-weight
245 | title == Could This Gene Help You Spend More Energy & Gain Less Weight? (MTCH2)
245 | meta_description == MTCH2 promotes energy conservation and the buildup of fat tissue. Can diet control the detrimental effects of this gene?
245 | summary == <p><strong>MTCH2 promotes energy conservation and the buildup of fat tissue. Can diet control the detrimental effects of this gene? Read on to learn more?</strong></p>
245 | overall_score_text == Weight Gain Score (based on MTCH2)
245 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/MTCH2--Weight.jpg
245 | author_id == 1
245 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
245 | author_title == BSc, BEd
245 | author_order == 36
245 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
245 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
245 | reviewer == None
245 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
245 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
245 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
245 | publish_date == 2020
245 | publish_date == 7
245 | publish_date == 13
245 | avg_rating == 5.0
245 | tags_id == 468
245 | tags_name == Energy Expenditure
245 | tags_id == 545
245 | tags_name == Fasting
245 | tags_id == 546
245 | tags_name == MTCH2 Gene
245 | tags_id == 165
245 | tags_name == Obesity
245 | tags_id == 115
245 | tags_name == Weight Gain
245 | tags_id == 184
245 | tags_name == Weight Loss
245 | permissions_favorite == False
245 | permissions_rate == False
245 | content_article == <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, seek medical help. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, which are correlative and aren&rsquo;t necessarily causative. Any single genetic variant will typically contribute only a small proportion to the overall risk of the condition, and non-genetic factors play a large role in developing a condition as well. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing this condition!</span></em></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is MTCH2?</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">encodes mitochondrial carrier homolog 2, a protein that sits on the membrane of the </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/mitochondria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">mitochondria</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> alongside a </span><a href="http://www.selfdecode.com/gene/bcl2/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bcl-2</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> type protein involved in cell death [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26827940/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The function of MTCH2 is not completely understood; it is believed to be multifaceted and complex, heavily dependent on which tissue is being discussed. In the brain, MTCH2 is believed to play a role in maintaining cognitive function; in the liver, it is essential for normal cell death cycles. MTCH2 has also been implicated in the progression of some types of cancers [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep44401"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4070879/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32299104/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> might be best studied in the context of fat metabolism, however; it appears to signal the body to conserve energy and produce fat tissue [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does MTCH2 Affect Fat Metabolism &amp; Weight Gain?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study found that mice without MTCH2 spent more energy and were able to </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for longer than mice with normal MTCH2. The MTCH2-deficient mice, unlike the normal mice, also did not get obese when they were fed a </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/low-carb-diet-vs-high-carb-diet/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">high-fat diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26876167/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2 is believed to be essential for a process called fat homeostasis: that is, your body uses MTCH2 to maintain the same weight and healthy amount of fat tissue. However, the specific role of MCTH2 may be to </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">promote</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> fat deposition and prevent the body from spending too much energy&mdash;you can probably see how that might be harmful in excess [</span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/oby.21751"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">MTCH2 participates in programmed cell death and regulates how much energy is burned by the body. High MTCH2 may decrease energy expenditure and promote weight gain.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2 Variants in Obesity</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At least three </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants have been associated with obesity. The best-studied of these is </span><a href="../../../snp/rs10838738/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs10838738</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, at which the uncommon &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele has been associated with slightly increased BMI in multiple studies. Some of these studies have also found a link between the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele and obesity, weight, and waist to height ratio (intended to measure abdominal fat) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695662/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21248185/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166286/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2729668/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839509/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other two variants that have been associated with obesity are </span><a href="../../../snp/rs3817334/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs3817334</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-T and </span><a href="../../../snp/rs4752856/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs4752856</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-A. The first (rs3817334-T) has been linked to BMI, while the second (rs4752856-A) has been linked to obesity rates and abdominal fat mass [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22041983/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3639324/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664142/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your MTCH2 Results for Obesity</span></h2> <p>*7529060099181517*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>MTCH2 rs10838738</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower BMI</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher BMI</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 43% of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele is more common in people of American descent (64%) and much less common in people of African descent (9%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>MTCH2 rs3817334</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower BMI</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher BMI</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 53% of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele is more common in people of European descent (65%) and less common in people of African descent (38%).</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>MTCH2 rs4752856</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with obesity or abdominal fat mass</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with obesity &amp; increased abdominal fat mass</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">About 42% of all people worldwide have at least one copy of the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is more common in people of American descent (67%) and much less common in people of African descent (9%).</span></li> </ul> <p>*4135082469818303*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Preventing Weight Gain</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may try the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for you. Discuss the strategies listed here with your doctor. Remember that none of them should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes.</span></em></p> <p>*9905579428715585*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">strongly affects how the body responds to energy intake; much of the research on this gene&rsquo;s interactions with outside factors have to do with diet-induced obesity. As such, there are a few dietary strategies with some promise for counteracting the negative effects of overactive </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low Energy Density Foods</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animals with high MTCH2 burn fewer calories, especially between meals. The most important step to prevent weight gain may therefore be to simply consume fewer calories, and the most sustainable way to do that (without risking nutritional deficiency!) is to choose foods that are less energy-dense [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928869/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124716300249"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some human research suggests that eating the exact same food, except made in a soup instead of as solid food, makes people feel more satiated and eat significantly fewer calories [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10500012/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2128765/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The idea is that soup has a very low energy density; that is, you would have to eat much more soup by weight than other foods to get the same number of calories. In several human studies, dieters who ate less energy dense foods lost more weight than those who ate foods with a high energy density [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9806313"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17556681"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17062810"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In one study, women who ate low energy density soup lost 50% more weight than women who ate an energy-dense snack [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15976148"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Because people with high MTCH2 may burn less energy, they may benefit most from reducing the energy density of their foods.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reduce Dietary Carbohydrates</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animals with low MTCH2 burn more energy from carbohydrates than animals with high MTCH2; high MTCH2 may make someone more susceptible to weight gain from carbs. If you have detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTCH2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants, it may be worth experimenting with low-carb diets [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124716300249"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical trial on 119 overweight people, a low-carbohydrate </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ketogenic-diet-ketosis-health-benefits-physiology-genetics/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ketogenic diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was as effective as a low-fat diet for weight loss but had the advantages that it reduced appetite and negative affect. A meta-analysis of 13 studies and over 1,500 people concluded that low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets are more effective than low-fat diets for losing weight [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17228046"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23651522"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Insulin</span></a><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/2015/06/10/35-biological-reasons-overeat/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is one of the big four fattening hormones</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. High glycemic index carbs will cause insulin spikes and </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, ultimately increasing your risk of obesity. However, they also increase satiation in the short term [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17167471"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">MTCH2 reduces the amount of energy burned from carbohydrates; people with detrimental mutations may benefit from a low carb diet.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intermittent Fasting</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Animals with high MTCH2 conserve more energy in between meals </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> store more fat after they eat; while this may be a beneficial adaptation to periods of scarcity, it can make it difficult to </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lose weight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> because the body is always trying to store energy as fat. Extending the time period between meals may help force the body to use those fat stores and shed some weight [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124716300249"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Intermittent fasting describes any diet in which a person eats their required caloric intake during predetermined periods of time and fasts during the remaining time. Some people choose to eat only during specific times of day (for example, between 10am and 6pm), while others choose to fast for one or two entire days per week.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Results of one study of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">intermittent fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in humans showed that fasting every other day for 12 weeks caused 32 people to lose an average of 12 pounds more than those who followed a daily program of calorie restriction. These people ate 25% of their calories every other day [</span><a href="http://www.nutritionj.com/content/12/1/146"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical trial on 52 women, caloric intake after 8:00 PM increased the risk of obesity, independent of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> timing and duration [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21527892/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Time-restricted feeding, a strategy in which a person only eats during a specific window of time each day, has also produced good results for </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. However, time-restricted feeding was not as effective as other forms of intermittent </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, according to a meta-analysis of the practice [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836017/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627766/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6004924/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Extending the time period between meals may encourage the body to store less and burn more fat.</span></p>
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245 | content_learn_more_4135082469818303_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your MTCH2 gene is moderately associated with increased energy storage and weight gain. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of obesity, just one gene related to it. Careful dietary modifications may help; read on to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs10838738,rs3817334,rs4752856
rsStatus = rs10838738,MTCH2,chr11,47641497,A,G,,,5,15,HET
rsStatus = rs3817334,MTCH2,chr11,47629441,C,A,T,,16,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs4752856,MTCH2,chr11,47626490,G,A,,,2,13,HET
