![]() ![]() “There has been speculation it could represent an adaptation to the influence of diet during human evolution – perhaps associated with the shift from the low starch diet of hunter-gatherers to the high starch diets of Neolithic farmers. ![]() “The wide variation in the number of copies of the AMY1 in humans is not found in other primates,” Dr Atkinson said. Lead author Dr Fiona Atkinson from the University’s Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Science, explained the findings were significant for better understanding of human evolutionary biology. ![]() As sugary foods shouldn’t be digested by amylase, the lack of an association indicates the difference in starch digestion observed was due to differences in the enzyme and therefore differences in the number of copies of the gene. They also displayed a higher blood glucose response to foods containing starch such as bread and pasta, but not sugary foods. People with more copies of the AMY1 gene – and corresponding higher concentrations of the amylase enzyme in their saliva – were found to digest starchy carbohydrates faster. Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from the University of Sydney conducted the first large-scale, systematic analysis of the influence of AMY1 copy numbers on 201 healthy participants during four linked experiments. Until now, however, few studies have attempted to determine the physiological role this variation might have in humans. In humans, the number of copies of the gene varies widely: some people have two, others 20, with an average of six to eight. Found in saliva, the protein enzyme encoded by the AMY1 gene begins the digestive process by breaking down starch when you chew your food. ![]()
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