Abstract
Genetic variation in bitter taste receptors, such as hTAS2R38, may affect food preferences and intake. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between bitter taste receptor haplotypes and the consumption of vegetables, fruits, berries and sweet foods among an adult Finnish population. A cross-sectional design utilizing data from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns cohort from 2007, which consisted of 1,903 men and women who were 30–45 years of age from five different regions in Finland, was employed. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and hTAS2R38 polymorphisms were determined based on three SNPs (rs713598, rs1726866 and rs10246939). Food consumption was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire. The prevalence of the bitter taste-sensitive (PAV/PAV) haplotype was 11.3 % and that of the insensitive (AVI/AVI) haplotype was 39.5 % among this Finnish population. PAV homozygotic women consumed fewer vegetables than did the AVI homozygotic women, 269 g/day (SD 131) versus 301 g/day (SD 187), respectively, p = 0.03 (multivariate ANOVA). Furthermore, the intake of sweet foods was higher among the PAV homozygotes of both genders. Fruit and berry consumption did not differ significantly between the haplotypes in either gender. Individuals perceive foods differently, and this may influence their patterns of food consumption. This study showed that the hTAS2R38 taste receptor gene variation was associated with vegetable and sweet food consumption among adults in a Finnish population.
Highlights
The abundant consumption of a variety of vegetables, fruit and berries may provide protection from many chronic diseases (Boeing et al 2012)
The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between bitter taste receptor haplotypes and the consumption of vegetables, fruits, berries and sweet foods among an adult Finnish population
DNA was extracted from blood samples, and hTAS2R38 polymorphisms were determined based on three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
Summary
The abundant consumption of a variety of vegetables, fruit and berries may provide protection from many chronic diseases (Boeing et al 2012). Individual taste preferences may be partly genetically determined, which may explain differences in food consumption (Tepper 2008). The abilities of individuals to recognize bitter compounds that contain a ‘–N–C=S’-structure, such as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and its chemical relative propylthiouracil (PROP), exhibit a bimodal distribution that distinguishes a sensitive and an insensitive phenotype (Kim and Drayna 2005). PAV homozygotes have been shown to be more sensitive to selected bitter-tasting compounds than are AVI homozygotes (Bufe et al 2005). The acceptance and consumption of vegetables and fruits have been linked to differences in sensitivity to PROP (Drewnowski et al 1999; Dinehart et al 2006; Kaminski et al 2000; Yackinous and Guinard 2002). Preferences for sweet foods may be related to bitter taste sensitivity (Feeney 2011)
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