Sweet Taste as a Predictor of Dietary Intake: A Systematic Review.

Sze-Yen Tan,Robin M Tucker

doi:10.3390/nu11010094

Abstract

Taste is frequently cited as an important factor in food choice, and while a number of studies have attempted to identify relationships between taste function and dietary intake, a systematic review of these studies has been lacking. This review identified studies that examined associations between taste function or taste perception and dietary intake. The purpose was to determine which taste measure was most closely associated with dietary intake in healthy adults. Studies that measured some component of dietary intake, either acutely or longer-term, were eligible for inclusion. Studies were grouped into three categories: those that measured sensitivity (thresholds), intensity, or hedonic responses to sweet stimuli. Sensitivity and intensity studies demonstrated little association with dietary intake measures. Hedonic measurements were more likely to be associated with dietary intake, especially if sweet likers were analyzed separately from sweet dislikers, but the degree of heterogeneity among stimulus concentrations and dietary measures as well as small sample sizes likely obscured more consistent relationships between hedonic evaluation and dietary intake. Due to the potential for within-day and between-day variability in both taste function and dietary intake, future work should explore obtaining more than one taste measurement before comparing results to longer-term dietary assessments and attempts to standardize methods.

Highlights

The sense of taste is commonly referred to as the “gatekeeper” of food intake [1]
The purpose of this review was to determine if psychophysical tests for sweet taste were associated with dietary intake and, if possible, to determine which test is the most closely associated with dietary intake
Sensitivity were placed into three categories based on psychophysical method utilized: (1) sensitivity measurements thresholds (n (n intensity measures (n =(n8),=

Summary

Introduction

The sense of taste is commonly referred to as the “gatekeeper” of food intake [1]. This concept is supported by consumer surveys that report food choices are made primarily based on the flavor of the selected foods, with considerations about healthfulness or cost typically rated as less important [2].Taste is an important component of the chemosensory attributes (taste, smell, chemesthesis or chemical irritation) that comprise flavor [3], and guide food selection and intake. The sense of taste is commonly referred to as the “gatekeeper” of food intake [1]. This concept is supported by consumer surveys that report food choices are made primarily based on the flavor of the selected foods, with considerations about healthfulness or cost typically rated as less important [2]. Bitter taste likely serves as a warning against potentially dangerous compounds [5]. If these purported functions are accurate, positive associations between taste function and/or preference for these taste qualities and related nutrient intake should exist

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