Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency reshapes food preferences in Greenlandic carriers

In a new study published in Genes & Nutrition, researchers report that Greenlandic individuals homozygous for an Arctic-specific loss-of-function variant in the sucrase-isomaltase gene (SI) rate sucrose and fructose as less pleasant, express stronger liking for savoury foods, and report habitually eating fewer high-fat sweet foods than matched non-carriers.

The variant results in an inability to digest sucrose in homozygous carriers, and previous work has linked it to a healthier cardiometabolic phenotype. However, the specific impact of the SI variant on food intake and preferences had not been studied in detail, which motivated the new investigation.

To probe the question, the team compared 18 homozygous SI-carriers with 20 non-carriers from Greenland, matched on sex, age, BMI and Inuit genetic ancestry. Participants completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and an ad libitum free-choice test meal. Food reward was assessed with the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire, and a sensory test measured participants’ ability to discriminate between sucrose and other sugars as well as sweetness and liking ratings.

In the sensory test, carriers rated liking of sucrose significantly lower than non-carriers on a 100 mm visual analogue scale, by 26 mm (p = 0.001), and rated fructose lower by 13 mm (p = 0.04). When participants were asked to choose between sucrose and a fructose-plus-glucose mixture for the most sweet and most liked sample, however, choice was not associated with genotype.

The Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire revealed a broader shift in food reward. Carriers expressed higher explicit liking and wanting for low-fat savoury foods than non-carriers (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively), and showed lower explicit liking for high-fat foods relative to low-fat foods compared with non-carriers (p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed for the remaining food reward outcomes.

The nutrient composition of the habitual diet, measured by questionnaire, was overall similar between the two genotype groups. Yet behaviour told a more nuanced story. Half of the carriers reported avoiding foods high in sugar, compared with none of the non-carriers, and habitual energy intake from high-fat sweet foods was 66% lower among carriers (p = 0.015).

Interestingly, the pattern reversed in the controlled eating situation. In the ad libitum test meal, carriers consumed 42% more total energy than non-carriers (p = 0.00004), a difference characterised by lower intake of protein and low-fat savoury foods. This increased test-meal intake was not reflected in the questionnaire estimates of habitual intake, suggesting that self-reported diet and observed eating behaviour can diverge in this population.

The authors conclude that loss of sucrase-isomaltase function is associated with a reduced preference and liking for sweetness and sucrose, and lower habitual intake of high-fat sweet foods, alongside relatively greater attraction to savoury options.

The work adds a behavioural dimension to the growing picture of how the Arctic SI variant shapes health. If carriers cannot digest sucrose, a reduced liking for sweet foods and a lower habitual intake of high-fat sweet foods could plausibly reinforce the cardiometabolic advantages previously reported for the variant, although the present study did not test that link directly. The divergence between questionnaire-based intake and the free-choice test meal also highlights how difficult it is to capture eating behaviour with a single method, and why combining sensory testing, food reward measures and observed consumption offers a fuller picture of how a single gene variant can ripple through diet and preference.

Subject of Research: How an Arctic sucrase-isomaltase gene variant affects food preferences and dietary intake in Greenlandic adults

Article Title: Greenlandic individuals with sucrase-isomaltase deficiency show different food preferences

Article References: Senftleber, N., Frøst, M. B., Andersen, M. K., Ramne, S., Pedersen, H. E., Finlayson, G., Gillum, M. P., Hansen, T., & Jørgensen, M. E. (2026). Greenlandic individuals with sucrase-isomaltase deficiency show different food preferences. Genes & Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12263-026-00818-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12263-026-00818-8

Keywords: sucrase-isomaltase, SI gene variant, Greenland, Inuit, food preferences, sucrose intolerance, sensory testing, Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire, dietary intake, nutrigenetics, cardiometabolic health, Greenlandic