Is pasta MAKING YOU TIRED?

Do carbs leave you sluggish and struggling to stay slim? It could all be down to your genes

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Ever cut down on carbs at the same time as family and friends, only to watch their pounds slip off while your waistline stays the same?

It could be thanks to your DNA, says genetics expert Dr Sharon Moalem.

'When it comes to carbohydrates, we have a gene that produces amylase, an enzyme that breaks it down,' explains Dr Moalem. The more copies of that gene you have, the more able your body will be to process bread, rice and pasta.

'Eat more carbs than your body can handle and this may lead to high blood sugar levels,' says Dr Moalem, 'which can cause your body to store the excess as fat.' Take our test and quiz to see how many carbs you should be eating - you might be surprised at the results.

THE CRACKER TEST

'If you have a lot of duplicates of the gene that produces amylase, you'll have a lot more of it in your saliva,' says Dr Moalem. 'So when you eat carbohydrates, it will start breaking them down quickly into simpler sugars, so you will notice a sweet taste. If you have little amylase, you won't notice a taste change.' * Place a plain cracker in your mouth, start the timer on your phone and start chewing. Don't swallow.