Salivary Enzyme Behind Our Carb Cravings May Have Unexpectedly Ancient History

Posted onNovember 7th, 2024byDr. Monica M. Bertagnolli

Digestion involves much more than just your stomach. Thedigestive processthat fuels your body begins in your mouth each time you take a bite of food and chew. An enzyme in your saliva, called amylase, then starts to break down complex carbohydratesor starches found in many fruits, vegetables, and grainsinto simpler sugars to give you their sweet flavor followed by a burst of energy.

Amylase is the reason were so good at turning starch into calories, but it isnt the same for everyone. Theres plenty of genetic variation in the number of salivary amylase genes (AMY1)our cells carry and, therefore, in how much of this essential starch-busting enzyme people have. Studies have suggested a link between changes in amylase gene copy numbers over time and both the rise of agriculture and starch-heavy diets. Now a study inScience,supported in part by NIH, suggests that extra copies ofAMY1are not only connected to our ability to effectively digest carbs, but also may be more ancient than previously known, arising even before modern humans split from Neanderthals and long before the advent of farming.