Abstract
The preference for sweet taste is partially genetically determined. The major allele of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs12033832 in the sweet taste receptor (TAS1R2) has previously been associated with lower sugar sensitivity and higher sugar intake among overweight individuals. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between dietary intake and the TAS1R2 genotype in lean and overweight individuals in the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort using dietary intake data with a high validity. In total, 3,602 participants (46-68 years old) from the MDC cohort who underwent baseline examinations between 1991 and 1994, who were non-smokers without diabetes, and for whom information regarding TAS1R2 rs7534618 (a proxy for rs12033832) was available were included in this study. After excluding individuals with potentially misreported and unstable food habits, 2,204 individuals were retained. A modified dietary history method, including a 7-day food diary of prepared meals, which was specifically designed for the MDC study was used. Only modest associations were observed between dietary intake and the TAS1R2 genotype. We observed slightly stronger associations after excluding individuals with potentially misreported and unstable food habits. Among the participants with a BMI ≥25, the major (T) allele carriers consumed more carbohydrates [TT = 45.2 percentage of energy intake (E%); TG = 45.2E%; GG = 43.7E%; p = 0.01] and less fat (p = 0.03), but these participants did not consume more sucrose than the G-allele carriers. No association was observed between the genotype and dietary intake among the participants with a BMI <25. Although the higher carbohydrate intake among the major allele carriers was consistent with that reported in a previous study, the magnitudes of the associations were substantially smaller. Because we observed no association with sucrose, this allele is unlikely to be useful as a marker of sugar intake in the MDC population.
Highlights
The taste sensory system is complex and involves multiple steps from the taste cell receptors on the tongue to experiencing the conscious perception of taste
The sweet taste is mainly mediated by a heterodimer of the taste receptors type 1 member 2 (TAS1R2) and member 3 (TAS1R3) [1]
Because decreased sensitivity to sugar might lead to increased intake of foods with a high sugar content, we aimed to investigate whether the dietary composition differed among those with genotypes associated with a decreased sensitivity to sweet taste
Summary
The taste sensory system is complex and involves multiple steps from the taste cell receptors on the tongue to experiencing the conscious perception of taste. In a study involving 95 individuals, a link to suprathreshold sweet taste sensitivity (assessed by participants’ ratings of the sucrose intensity of five solutions using general Labeled Magnitude Scales) was found in two of eight examined genetic variants (tag SNPs) in TAS1R2 [9]. These two genetic variants were moderately linked (r2 = 0.67), and only one variant (rs12033832) was associated with dietary intake (based on a food frequency questionnaire) in a larger study involving 707 individuals. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between dietary intake and the TAS1R2 genotype in lean and overweight individuals in the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort using dietary intake data with a high validity
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