Scientists said that the appetite hormone FGF21, which is secreted by the liver, is associated with an irresistible attraction to sweet food. According to researchers, carriers of its mutant version become sweet tooths. Conclusions of scientists were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

The hormone FGF21 is known to biologists for a long time. Previously, scientists believed that this substance is excreted by the liver during lunch and helps the body smoothly change the level of insulin, preparing the body for an influx of glucose and other substances. Later, the researchers found that disabling the gene associated with the production of FGF21, led to extremely interesting consequences in the body of mice and monkeys. The animals turned into real sweet tooth and ate sweet food practically continuously, even if they were full for a long time. Putting the hormone into the body of these mice led to the opposite consequences - the sweet ceased to interest them in principle.

Later, the researchers decided to check whether this hormone plays the same role in the human body. To this end, the researchers analyzed the dietary data for nearly 6,500 volunteers participating in the Inter99 project and collected their DNA samples to compare the structure of FGF21.

It turned out that FGF21 really controls the craving for sweets and among people. Researchers managed to single out one variant of this gene, rs838133, the presence of two copies of which in DNA markedly increased the likelihood that the person was a sweet tooth.

The researchers also found that the presence of a mutation in FGF21 was associated with two other vices - craving for alcohol and tobacco. According to researchers, this is due to the fact that FGF21 and related hormones directly act on the pleasure center in the human brain and change its work.

Earlier it was reported that scientists discovered in the human brain "the genes of intelligence". In the course of research, scientists have established that these same genes in an altered state can lead to epilepsy and cognitive imbalance.