Adherence to low-carbohydrate diet inversely tied to rs671 polymorphism

An inverse relationship is observed between rs671 and adherence to low-carbohydrate diets (LCD), reveals a Japan study. This association, however, is strongly confounded by alcohol consumption.

“Genetic differences were related to nutritional consumption, food preferences, and dietary patterns, but whether particular genetic differences in individuals influence LCD adherence is unknown,” the authors said.

A genome-wide association study on adherence to LCD was carried out involving a total of 14,076 participants from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort study. A previously validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate food consumption.

The authors assessed the association of the imputed variants with the LCD score by Halton et al using linear regression analysis, adjusted for age, sex, total dietary energy consumption, and components 1 to 10 by principal analysis. Analysis was repeated with adjustment for alcohol consumption (g/day) in addition to the mentioned variables.

In combined analysis of men and women without adjustment for alcohol consumption, 395 variants on chromosome 12 were found to be associated with the LCD score (p<5x10^-8). In conditional analysis that included the dosage data of rs671 on chromosome 12 as a covariate, p values for all 395 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 12 turned out to be not significant.

Likewise, analysis with additional adjustment for consumption did not reveal any SNP associated with the LCD score.

“LCDs are useful for weight reduction, and 50–55 percent carbohydrate consumption is associated with minimal risk,” the authors said.