Cell Metabolism
Volume 25, Issue 5, 2 May 2017, Pages 1045-1053.e6
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Clinical and Translational Report
FGF21 Is a Sugar-Induced Hormone Associated with Sweet Intake and Preference in Humans

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2017.04.009Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Human FGF21 variants are associated with increased sweet consumption

  • These variants do not correlate with obesity, T2DM, or glucose intolerance

  • Circulating FGF21 is increased by sucrose consumption

  • Sweet-disliking individuals have elevated FGF21 levels

Summary

The liking and selective ingestion of palatable foods—including sweets—is biologically controlled, and dysfunction of this regulation may promote unhealthy eating, obesity, and disease. The hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) reduces sweet consumption in rodents and primates, whereas knockout of Fgf21 increases sugar consumption in mice. To investigate the relevance of these findings in humans, we genotyped variants in the FGF21 locus in participants from the Danish Inter99 cohort (n = 6,514) and examined their relationship with a detailed range of food and ingestive behaviors. This revealed statistically significant associations between FGF21 rs838133 and increased consumption of candy, as well as nominal associations with increased alcohol intake and daily smoking. Moreover, in a separate clinical study, plasma FGF21 levels increased acutely after oral sucrose ingestion and were elevated in fasted sweet-disliking individuals. These data suggest the liver may secrete hormones that influence eating behavior.

Keywords

fibroblast growth factor 21
FGF21
macronutrient preference
sucrose preference
food preference
genetic association study
human
sugar appetite
reward seeking

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These authors contributed equally

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