Abstract
Taste perception plays an undisputed role in food choice, preference, and intake. Recent literature suggests that individual diet and taste sensitivity may have a reciprocal relationship, with evidence highlighting that specific diets can alter taste sensitivities. Commensurate with an increase in the prevalence of plant-based diets is the importance of investigating if following a vegetarian or vegan diet is associated with altered taste sensitivities. In this study, the taste detection thresholds for six compounds (i.e., sweet—sucrose, salty—sodium chloride, sour—citric acid, umami—monosodium glutamate, MSG, bitter—caffeine, and metallic—iron II sulphate heptahydrate) were measured for a total of 80 healthy, New Zealand European females aged 18–45 years old, who were categorised as 22 vegans, 23 vegetarians, and 35 omnivores. Each participant’s detection thresholds to these compounds were measured across two sessions, using an ascending Method of Limits with two-alternative-forced-choice presentations. The threshold data were analysed using both multivariate (i.e., principal component analysis) and univariate (i.e., ANCOVA) techniques to assess differences across the three types of diet. Multivariate analysis suggested that the omnivore group had distinct taste sensitivity patterns across the six compounds compared to the vegetarian or vegan group, which were characterised by relatively heightened sensitivity to metallic and lowered sensitivity to sweetness. Furthermore, the vegetarian group was shown to have a significantly lower detection threshold to bitterness (i.e., caffeine) relative to the other two groups (p < 0.001). While future study is required to investigate the cause–effect relationship between individual diet and taste sensitivities, the present study provides a systematic evaluation of taste sensitivities of individuals following distinct diets. This information may be valuable to future gustatory research as well as to food manufacturers.
Highlights
Taste perception plays an undisputed role in food preference, choice, and consumption [1]
Recent literature suggests that individual diet and taste sensitivity may have a reciprocal relationship, with evidence highlighting that specific diets can alter taste sensitivities [2,3,4]
The present study aims to measure taste detection thresholds to six taste qualities, including sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami, and metallic
Summary
Taste perception plays an undisputed role in food preference, choice, and consumption [1]. A recent study investigating differences in bitter taste sensitivity and vegetable consumption, across vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores, demonstrated that vegetarian participants had a lower sensitivity to the bitter compound (PROP; 6-n-propylthiouracil) relative to followers of the other two types of diets [35]. These authors cited the need for further research to better understand the sensory-diet links observed among people following distinct diets. This information will provide valuable insights for future gustatory research, as well as for food manufacturers
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