3 ms·
Maybe I misunderstood something, but the article seems to highlight how the genetic variant of SLC30A9 is protective against lack of zinc and cold, while it pre
by rzmmm 3y ago
Maybe I misunderstood something, but the article seems to highlight how the genetic variant of SLC30A9 is protective against lack of zinc and cold, while it predisposes to some mental health issues. So individuals with the variant are less likely to be zinc deficient.
- strbean 3y agoIt reads to me like they don't know the specific effects on zinc requirements or deficits for a subject with this variant. Just vague statements that it "affects zinc transport" and "causes a new zinc balance within the cell". Maybe this variant increases survival rates with an otherwise zinc deficient diet, by essentially allocating more zinc to basic survival needs and less zinc to fluff like mental wellbeing?
- Podgajski 3y agoIt’s also possible that they were eating a lot more high zinc foods in cold climates (think organ meats and seafood like mussels). Getting too much zinc is as bad as getting too little so genetic adaptation would favor slower intestinal zinc transport and higher mitochondrial, zinc export which is what the SLC30A9 gene does. So now, those of us who carry this variant and are eating a lower zinc diet get way too deficient to easily.
- rzmmm 3y ago> Maybe this variant increases survival rates with an otherwise zinc deficient diet, by essentially allocating more zinc to basic survival needs and less zinc to fluff like mental wellbeing? That's interesting idea, it sounds plausible but I'm not an expert in this area. I'd like to add that in the article paper they talk about "hard selective sweeps" for this gene variant, which implies that the variant had especially strong influence on survival. AFAIK these selective sweeps often bring on some secondary traits which are a "side product" (spandrel) of the primary trait.