271 | id == 271
271 | category_id == 15
271 | category_order == 11
271 | category_name == Diet
271 | category_color == #C47AC0
271 | slug == SLC2A2-Sweet-Tooth
271 | title == Can This Gene Influence Your Sugar Eating Habits? (SLC2A2)
271 | meta_description == GLUT2 (SLC2A2) is a sugar-transporting protein. Read on to find out how its variants might influence your sugar intake!
271 | summary == <p><strong>The SLC2A2 gene encodes the GLUT2 transporter proteins, which transports sugar in and out of cells. Variants in this gene may influence your sugar intake. Read on to find out how these variants may be influencing your dietary habits, and some steps you can take to potentially reduce their impact!</strong></p>
271 | overall_score_text == Your Sweet Tooth Score (based on SLC2A2)
271 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/GLUT2--Weight.jpg
271 | author_id == 13
271 | author_name == Lewis Cuthbertson
271 | author_title == PhD
271 | author_order == 12
271 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Lewis_SelfDecode.jpg
271 | author_intro == <p><strong>Lewis completed his PhD in Molecular Microbiology at Northumbria University (UK).</strong></p>    <p>Lewis spent several years researching the biodiversity of bacterial communities in the Arctic and Antarctic, whilst also performing research for a DNA sequencing service, where he was involved in several health based microbiome studies. This gave him an insight into how the highly diverse and invisible to the naked eye portion of human health, can potentially impact an individual&rsquo;s quality of life, driving his desire to help others understand their own complex health needs through the most current scientific research.<br />  &nbsp;</p>
271 | reviewer_id == 10
271 | reviewer_name == Biljana Novkovic
271 | reviewer_title == PhD
271 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
271 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
271 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
271 | publish_date == 2020
271 | publish_date == 8
271 | publish_date == 13
271 | avg_rating == 5.0
271 | tags_id == 183
271 | tags_name == Diet
271 | tags_id == 612
271 | tags_name == SLC2A2
271 | tags_id == 314
271 | tags_name == Sugar
271 | tags_id == 613
271 | tags_name == Sweets
271 | permissions_favorite == False
271 | permissions_rate == False
271 | content_article == <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>If you have any serious health concerns related to your sugar intake or other dietary issues, it is important to discuss these concerns with your doctor. The information in this post is presented for educational purposes only, and should not be used to replace standard medical care.</em></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene encodes a transporter protein called GLUT2, which moves </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and other simple sugars in and out of cells [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10863940/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GLUT2 proteins are present in the liver, brain, kidney, intestines, and pancreas, and become more active after meals in response to a sugar increase in the body [</span><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-014-3451-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">GLUT2 function is important for healthy blood sugar levels [</span><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-014-3451-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The <em>SLC2A2</em> gene encodes GLUT2, a transporter that assists in the movement of sugar (glucose) in and out of cells, and by doing so promotes a healthy blood sugar response.</span></p> <h2><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Variants &amp; Sweet Tooth</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Certain </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants have been associated with differences in sugar intake.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study of two distinct populations linked the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variant rs5400 with appetite for sugary foods.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first group of individuals, 194 men and women over the age of 45 who showed pre-diabetic symptoms, were found to have an increased sugar intake if they carried an &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349384/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This finding was replicated in a group of 700 healthy men and women aged 20-29 [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349384/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although these findings were replicated in two distinct groups, the small overall number of participants means these results require further validation at a larger scale [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349384/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em>SLC2A2 </em>variants, such as rs5400, have been associated with increased sugar intake.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SL2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Might Influence Sugar Intake</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Appetite is largely controlled by communication between the gut and the brain. GLUT2 is believed to be a part of specific sensors in the brain that detect glucose in the blood [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349384/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low GLUT2</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">has been shown to cause overeating in mice. Researchers found that mice without the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">GLUT2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene typically ate larger portions of food, suggesting that the gene plays a role in appetite. However, the mechanism for this is not fully understood and requires further research [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16567520/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's possible that in people with </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants, lower GLUT2 reduces the amount of glucose being sensed. This may increase a person's hunger for sugary foods [</span><a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00148.2007?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em>SLC2A2 </em>variants may lower the amount of GLUT2 in the brain. Lower GLUT2 may reduce glucose sensing, which in turn amplifies the feeling of hunger for sugary foods.</span></p> <h2><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Variants &amp; Disease</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carriers of the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele of rs5400 were also found to have increased </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cholesterol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> compared to non-carriers [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20066028/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A further </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variant, rs1499821, was associated with an increased risk for poor teeth health in humans. The researchers also found a link between teeth health and liking of sweets, which may indicate that this variant also influences sugar intake. However, this speculative link would require further work for confirmation [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20179244/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4534477/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, including rs5400, are associated with increased risk of disease, including diabetes and Fanconi&ndash;Bickel syndrome. However, the mechanism has not been clearly identified and more research is needed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC212698/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9809815/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">As well as being associated with increased sugar intake, <em>SLC2A2 </em>variants may also increase the risk of certain diseases.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SLC2A2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Results for Sugar Intake</span></h2> <p><strong>*2599135902669356*</strong></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong><em>SLC2A2</em></strong> <a href="../../../snp/rs5400/"><strong>rs5400</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;AA&rsquo; = Associated with an increased intake of sugar [</span><a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00148.2007?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;AG&rsquo; = Associated with an increased intake of sugar [</span><a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00148.2007?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;GG&rsquo; = Associated with a normal intake of sugar [</span><a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00148.2007?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Globally, 36% of people carry a copy of the &lsquo;sweet tooth&rsquo;-causing &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele [</span><a href="https://useast.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Variation/Population?db=core;r=3:171014011-171015011;v=rs5400;vdb=variation;vf=2006"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><strong>*4635410170685223*</strong></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations To Reduce Sugar Cravings</span></h2> <p><strong>*8847196226233345*</strong></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Manage/Minimize Stress</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research in rats suggests that stress can decrease GLUT2 levels and</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">activity and reduce glucose absorption by the intestines, which may increase sugar intake. However, this research was done in rodent models, and the mechanism behind this has yet to be clearly shown [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1665211/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, we do know that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, via the stress hormone </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/need-know-cortisol-health-effects/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cortisol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, has been linked to higher blood glucose levels and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919480/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stress management techniques, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, have been shown to improve glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11772897"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6015675/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research in rats also shows that </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;"> helps increase the production of GLUT2, reduce blood glucose levels, and improve </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin sensitivity</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Physical activity can also significantly lower the risk of type 2 diabetes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10683091"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569266/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18029442/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Avoid Processed Sugary Foods</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In general, to avoid the risks associated with a high sugar diet, avoid foods high in sugar or carbohydrates such as sweets, bread and general junk food [</span><a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-type-2-diabetes/50-ways"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Avoid Fatty Junk Food</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fatty palmitic acid is thought to decrease GLUT2</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">activity in animal studies. Decreased GLUT2</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">activity has been touted as a cause of overeating sugary foods, therefore eating fatty foods may perpetuate sweet appetite too, although the mechanism behind this is not clear. Avoid eating foods high in palmitic acid, such as butter, milk, red meat, and palm oil (potato chips, pastries, etc.) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9374511/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7702608/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349384/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p>
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271 | content_learn_more_4635410170685223_text == Based on the variant we looked at, your SLC2A2 gene may be associated with an increased sugar intake. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall appetite — just one gene related to it. Read on to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs5400,rs1499821
rsStatus = rs5400,SLC2A2,chr3,171014511,G,A,,,32,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1499821,SLC2A2,chr3,171006940,C,G,T,,35,0,Normal
