Sweet Taste Perception Research Articles

Determination of objective taste perception among Iranian medical sciences students during COVID‑19 pandemic in Yazd, Eastern Iran: a case-control pilot study

BackgroundTaste disorders in patients suffering from COVID-19 were popular. Some people even after recovery report residual effects of loss of smell and taste. This study aimed to investigate the taste Perception of Iranian Medical Sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe case-control study evaluated 50 Medical Sciences students with a history of COVID-19 infection, as confirmed by the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCOV) CFX96™ Real-Time PCR Detection System. The other participants consisted of 50 volunteer students with COVID-19 negative. The taste perception was measured with 4 different concentrations of the basic tastes. The stimuli were applied to the protruded tongue. Subjects were asked to identify the researcher when they felt the taste. Data are expressed as frequency distribution and analyzed with the Chi-Square test (P < 0.05).ResultsIn this survey, 54% of participants were male and 46% were female, the mean age of participants was 22.96 ± 5 years. The results showed a significant difference in the sweet and bitter taste perception score according to the history of dietary supplement use. The bitter taste perception score declared a considerable difference since COVID-19 infection. There was no significant difference between the taste perception in the two studied groups for all 4 basic tastes according to gender, COVID-19 infection status, history of taste and smell disorders, and the elapsed time since COVID-19 infection.ConclusionOur findings could provide important insights into taste perception. The history of dietary supplementation may influence how sweetness and saltiness are perceived. There was a noticeable difference in bitter taste perception depending on the time that had elapsed since the most recent COVID-19 infection.

Synergistic Effect Mechanism of Binary Sweet Taste Compounds.

In our previous study, phloridzin, sucrose, l-alanine, and dulcitol presented synergistic effects in Camellia nanchuanica black tea (NCBT). This study aims to verify the synergistic effects of the aforementioned sweet taste compounds and the mechanism involved. By conducting σ-τ plot analysis, phloridzin at the recognition threshold concentration (phl) exhibited synergistic effects with different concentrations of sucrose (Lsuc-6suc). Various concentrations of sucrose, phloridzin, and their combinations were selected to investigate the impact on sweet taste receptor cells. The results revealed that sucrose/phloridzin significantly increased the calcium signal compared to phloridzin and sucrose alone, attributed to the greater stability of the sucrose/phloridzin combination when binding to Taste 1 Receptor Member 3 (TAS1R3; one subunit of sweet taste receptor proteins). Ultimately, the sweet taste signal of sucrose/phloridzin was transmitted to the brain, triggering the activation of more brain regions associated with sweet taste perception (right insular, postcentral, and amygdala).

Flavor and taste recognition impairments in people with type 1 diabetes

Background/objectivesAdherence to dietary recommendations is a critical component in the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Taste and flavor significantly influence food choices. The aim of this study was to investigate taste sensitivity and flavor recognition ability in adults with T1D compared to healthy individuals.Subjects/methodsSeventy-two people with T1D and 72 matched healthy controls participated in the study. Participants underwent the gustometry test for sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes and the flavor test, which consisted of oral administration of aqueous aromatic solutions identifying 21 different compounds.ResultsParticipants with T1D had significantly lower flavor scores and gustometry scores than controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0063, respectively). T1D individuals showed a lower perception of sour, bitter and salty tastes than controls, while the perception of sweet taste was similar. The sex differences and age-related decline in flavor perception observed in controls were not present in the participants with T1D. Neither BMI nor disease-related parameters such as fasting blood glucose on the day of the study, glycosylated hemoglobin, age at onset of diabetes, duration of diabetes, or type of insulin treatment (insulin pump or multiple daily injections) correlated with flavor and taste perception in the T1D participants.ConclusionsFlavor and taste perception are impaired in adults with T1D, potentially affecting dietary adherence and food choices. This highlights the need for further research into the mechanisms underlying sensory changes in T1D and emphasizes the importance of targeted dietary interventions to improve health outcomes and quality of life in this population.

Standard rodent diets differentially impact alcohol consumption, preference, and gut microbiome diversity.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex and widespread disease with limited pharmacotherapies. Preclinical animal models of AUD use a variety of voluntary alcohol consumption procedures to recapitulate different phases of AUD, including binge alcohol consumption and dependence. However, voluntary alcohol consumption in mice is widely variable, making it difficult to reproduce results across labs. Accumulating evidence indicates that different brands of commercially available rodent chow can profoundly influence alcohol intake. In this study, we investigated the effects of three commercially available and widely used rodent diet formulations on alcohol consumption and preference in C57BL/6 J mice using the 24 h intermittent access procedure. The three brands of chow tested were LabDiet 5,001 (LD5001), LabDiet 5,053 (LD5053), and Teklad 2019S (TL2019S) from two companies (Research Diets and Envigo, respectively). Mice fed LD5001 and LD5053 displayed higher levels of alcohol consumption and preference compared to mice fed TL2019S. We also found that alcohol consumption and preference could be rapidly switched by changing the diet 48 h prior to alcohol administration. Sucrose, saccharin, and quinine preferences were not altered, suggesting that the diets did not alter sweet and bitter taste perception. We also found that mice fed LD5001 displayed increased quinine-resistant alcohol intake compared to mice fed TL2019S, suggesting that diets could influence the development of compulsive behaviors such as alcohol consumption. We profiled the gut microbiome of water- and alcohol-drinking mice that were maintained on different diets and found significant differences in bacterial alpha- and beta-diversities, which could impact the gut-brain axis signaling and alcohol consumption.

Exploring Bitter and Sweet: The Application of Large Language Models in Molecular Taste Prediction.

The perception of bitter and sweet tastes is a crucial aspect of human sensory experience. Concerns over the long-term use of aspartame, a widely used sweetener suspected of carcinogenic risks, highlight the importance of developing new taste modifiers. This study utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) such as GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 for predicting molecular taste characteristics, with a focus on the bitter-sweet dichotomy. Employing random and scaffold data splitting strategies, GPT-4 demonstrated superior performance, achieving an impressive 86% accuracy under scaffold partitioning. Additionally, ChatGPT was employed to extract specific molecular features associated with bitter and sweet tastes. Utilizing these insights, novel molecular compounds with distinct taste profiles were successfully generated. These compounds were validated for their bitter and sweet properties through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation, and their practicality was further confirmed by ADMET toxicity testing and DeepSA synthesis feasibility. This research highlights the potential of LLMs in predicting molecular properties and their implications in health and chemical science.

Metabolic sensing in AgRP regulates sucrose preference and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

Hunger increases the motivation for calorie consumption, often at the expense of low-taste appeal. However, the neural mechanisms integrating calorie-sensing with increased motivation for calorie consumption remain unknown. Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus sense hunger, and the ingestion of caloric solutions promotes dopamine release in the absence of sweet taste perception. Therefore, we hypothesised that metabolic-sensing of hunger by AgRP neurons would be essential to promote dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in response to caloric, but not non-caloric solutions. Moreover, we examined whether metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons affected taste preference for bitter solutions under conditions of energy need. Here we show that impaired metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons attenuated nucleus accumbens dopamine release in response to sucrose, but not saccharin, consumption. Furthermore, metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons was essential to distinguish nucleus accumbens dopamine response to sucrose consumption when compared with saccharin. Under conditions of hunger, metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons increased the preference for sucrose solutions laced with the bitter tastant, quinine, to ensure calorie consumption, whereas mice with impaired metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons maintained a strong aversion to sucrose/quinine solutions despite ongoing hunger. In conclusion, we demonstrate normal metabolic sensing in AgRP neurons drives the preference for calorie consumption, primarily when needed, by engaging dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.

Does inclusion of miracle fruit powder within a model beverage affect taste of solutions subsequently consumed?

AbstractMiraculin is a glycoprotein present in miracle fruit berries (Richadella dulcifica or Synsepalum dulcificum) known to have taste modifying properties: conversion of sour into sweet taste. So far, research has shown that the effects occur when consuming miracle fruit powder or miracle fruit berries prior to consumption of a sour drink or food product. However, limited research has examined the effects of miraculin consumed within a food or drink product and if there might be any taste‐modifying effects on other food and drinks consumed subsequently. This research looks at miraculin, from freeze‐dried miracle fruit powder, served within model soft drink formulations at concentrations ethically approved for consumption in soft drink beverages (50 and 80 ppm miracle fruit powder). Three experiments were carried out. The first investigated how long any taste‐modifying effects would last following consumption and whether the effects were dose‐dependent. Experiment 2 looked at the effect of repeated exposure on perception of sweet, sour, and bitter tastes, whilst experiment 3 explored whether the receptor binding of miraculin in miracle fruit powder would affect sweetness perception of other sweeteners. All results showed minimal effects of using freeze‐dried miracle fruit powder within a model beverage at the 50 and 80 ppm levels suggesting that future water‐based beverages produced containing low levels of miraculin protein will have little or no taste‐modifying effects on foods and beverages subsequently consumed.Practical ApplicationsMiraculin, derived from miracle fruit berries, acts as a taste modifier and can change food or drink from tasting sour to tasting sweet. This property is known to occur if either a fresh or freeze‐dried powder of miraculin is ingested before food or drink. Miraculin has potential as an ingredient in water‐based beverages to enhance sweetness, reduce the undesirable aftertaste associated with some high‐potency sweeteners, and to add mouthfeel. However, until now, it was unknown whether, by adding miraculin to a beverage at levels considered safe for human consumption, the taste of other foods consumed with or after the beverage would be affected. Here, we show that a low level of miraculin protein within a water‐based beverage has little to no taste‐modifying effects on products that are subsequently consumed. Our study therefore opens new avenues for using miraculin as a taste modifier.

Differences in time-intensity sensory profiles of sweet taste intensity of glucose between older and young adults.

To understand age-related changes in sweet taste perception in daily life, it is important to understand taste intensity at the suprathreshold level. Previous studies have attempted to characterize the temporal aspects of human taste perception in terms of time-intensity evaluations. The perception of dynamic taste intensity in older adults increases slowly for salty taste; however, there have been no previous studies on time-intensity sensory evaluation of sweet taste in older adults. We hypothesized that older adults perceive sweet taste intensity more slowly than young adults. Fifty young and 40 older adults participated in the study and glucose solutions of 0.6 M and 1.5 M were used as stimuli. The study comprised two experiments: (1) a cup tasting test (static taste perception in the mouth), and (2) a time-intensity sensory evaluation, in which the solutions were presented using a custom-made delivery system. The intra-oral device was made to fit each participant's dentition. Further, the level of gag reflex was taken into consideration for each participant in the design of the intra-oral device. A suction tube was placed across the posterior tongue near the throat to remove solution and saliva. The solution delivery system was controlled by an original computer program. Older adults presented significantly different maximum intensity timing and slope for both concentrations compared with young adults (slope for 1.5 M, p < 0.01; others, p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between the older and young adults for reaction timing and maximum intensity. We conclude that older adults perceived sweetness more slowly than young adults, and ultimately perceived almost the same intensity as young adults. This is the first reported characterization of the time-intensity profile of sweet taste intensity of glucose in older adults. Using a standardized system enabled us to assess and compare feedback on taste intensities among different age groups in real-time. Based on this, we recommend older adults "savor" to perceive sweet tastes at the same level experienced by young adults.

The Effect of Shapes of Fruits and Vegetables on Sweet Taste Perception Shapes and Sweet Taste Perception

Background/Purpose: Taste and palatability of foods are important factors for food intake, while in most cases the first sensory contact with food may occur through sight. We aimed to examine the effects of shapes, a visual factor, on the perceived sweet taste of fruits and vegetables, thus enabling using visual cues to increase consumption in the community to promote healthy nutrition. Methods: We included 30 voluntary participants from the staff of a university in Istanbul. Angular (square and star) and oval (round) shapes are created using standard patterns in six different fruits and vegetables. Participants were uninformed about tasting the same fruits and vegetables in different shapes, and the tests were repeated when they were hungry and full. Results: At varying rates, women and men were affected by differently shaped fruits (p0.05). The perceived sweet taste in both fruits and vegetables was affected in the younger participants (p0.05), the participants with healthy body weights were affected by the serving shapes (p

Phenotypic characterization and quality perception of unsulfurated dried apricots in a panel of European accessions and breeding selections

Dried apricots are a nutrient-rich food increasingly attracting consumer's interest, especially when processed without preservative substances. Despite a certain increase of market demand, dried apricot production still relies on a few varieties with poorly differentiated taste and aroma. This study evaluates several quality-related features in fresh apricots and their impact on taste after drying in a set of fourteen accessions and breeding selections and includes three commercial standards to corroborate the results. The characterization of European apricot germplasm could allow the identification of novel materials that possess superior organoleptic characteristics after hot-air drying in order to renew the current varietal landscape.Apricot fruits were collected at full-physiological ripening stage in two harvesting seasons (2021 and 2022) in Italy and were characterized for several physical (fruit weight, flesh firmness and dry matter) and chemical (content of total polyphenols, soluble solids, titratable acidity and ten organic acids) attributes. The whole apricot accessions showed a phenotypic variation extremely valuable in ongoing breeding programmes that try to enhance fruit quality. Among the totality of apricot advanced selections, ‘BO02611038’, ‘BO10619011’, ‘BO11618023’ and ‘BO12607228’ were the most ranked for their high aroma, medium sourness and low bitterness. Citrate and malate were the most abundant organic acids found in fruit flesh and skin but only quinate seemed to enhance the sour taste and impact the sweetness. Interestingly, no differences were perceived by panelists in sweet taste perception leading to consider it an already-achieved breeding target in the European accessions included in our study. In addition, fruit dry matter content seemed to affect both textural properties and taste advancing it as a reliable selection criterion in novel apricot accessions meant for drying.The majority of the dried selections analyzed in this study revealed a superior organoleptic profile compared to commercial standards. A detailed characterization of fresh fruit quality attributes indicated that some parameters might be used to predict the sensory potential of dried apricots, while the aromatic profile seemed the next breeding target to improve the overall taste and further increase the degree of liking in consumers.

The analysis of approaches to assessing the sugar content of fruit and vegetable products

The relevance of this study is due to the growing interest of modern consumers in healthy eating, where fruit and vegetables play an important role, which should not only be aesthetically pleasing but also have high taste potential. The purpose of the article is to analyse and compare different approaches to assessing the sugar content of fruit and vegetable products, their effectiveness, and to substantiate areas for improvement. For this purpose, the author analysed the literature and regulatory and technical documents. Traditional methods for determining the sugar content are considered: total content, soluble solids content, and total soluble solids content. It has been established that the soluble solids content and the total soluble solids content of fruits cannot be equated and should be adjusted using an appropriate coefficient based on the percentage of sugars. It has been shown that the content of total soluble substances does not always correctly reflect the sugar content and does not correlate with the taste of sweetness of fruit and vegetables. The necessity of taking into account acidity, which significantly affects the perception of sweet taste, has been established. High acidity can inhibit the sweet taste of fruit and vegetables, even with a very high sugar content. It is proposed to use the ratio of sugar content to titratable acidity for a comprehensive assessment of the sugar content and taste of products. The necessity of using the BrimA and sweetness indices, which combine the indicators of sugars and acidity, as well as reflect the contribution of a single carbohydrate to the total sugar content of the product, is substantiated. These indices allow for a comprehensive assessment of sugar content and predict the sensory perception of fruit and vegetable raw materials. The absence of a single standardised approach and the need for comparative analysis to select optimal methods for measuring the sugar content of fruit and vegetable products are noted, so there is an urgent need to standardise such approaches to improve data comparison. The results of the article can be used to select the most informative methods of sugar content analysis. This will optimise quality control procedures and standardisation of measurements in the food industry

A high sucrose detection threshold is associated with increased energy intake and improved post-prandial glucose response independent of the sweetness intensity of isocaloric sucrose solutions

Several studies proposed a role for the sweet taste receptor in energy intake and blood glucose regulation, but little is yet known about the impact of the individual sweet taste perception. Here, we found in a cross-over human intervention study with 29 male participants that modulating the sweetness of an isocaloric sucrose solution did not influence postprandial plasma concentrations of blood glucose and associated hormones over 120 min and 2 h post-load energy intake. Independent of the sweetness of the test solution, tests persons with a higher sucrose detection threshold had an average of 402 ± 78.8 kcal (39 ± 21%) higher energy intake and a higher glucose/insulin ratio, combined with a higher liking for sweet tasting food, than the test persons of the low threshold group. The body composition suggested a higher fat-free mass in the high threshold group that may have influenced energy intake and post-prandial glucose responses.

Glutamine enhances sucrose taste through a gut microbiota-gut-brain axis in Drosophila

AimsAmino acids (AAs) are known to play important roles in various physiological functions. However, their effect on sweet taste perception remains largely unknown. Main methodsWe used Drosophila to evaluate the effect of each AA on sucrose taste perception. Individual AA was supplemented into diets and male flies were fed on these diets for 6 days. The proboscis extension response (PER) assay was applied to assess the sucrose taste sensitivity of treated flies. We further utilized the RNA-seq and germ-free (GF) flies to reveal the underlying mechanisms of sucrose taste sensitization induced by glutamine (Gln). Key findingsWe found that supplementation of Gln into diets significantly enhances sucrose taste sensitivity. This sucrose taste sensitization is dependent on gut microbiota and requires a specific gut bacterium Acetobacter tropicalis (A. tropicalis). We further found that CNMamide (CNMa) in the gut and CNMa receptor (CNMaR) in dopaminergic neurons are required for increased sucrose taste sensitivity by Gln diet. Finally, we demonstrated that a gut microbiota-gut-brain axis is required for Gln-induced sucrose taste sensitization. SignificanceThese findings can advance understanding of the complex interplay between host physiology, dietary factors, and gut microbiota.

A novel biomimetic electrochemical taste-biosensor based on conformational changes of the taste receptor

Taste sensor, a useful tool which could detect and identify thousands of different chemical substances in liquid environments, has attracted continuous concern from beverage and foodstuff industry and its consumers. Although many taste sensing methods have been extensively developed, the assessment of tastant content remains challenging due to the limitations of sensor selectivity and sensitivity. Here we present a novel biomimetic electrochemical taste-biosensor based on bioactive sensing elements and immune amplification with nanomaterials carrier to address above concerns, while taking sweet taste perception as a model. The proposed biosensor based on ligand binding domain (T1R2 VFT) of human sweet taste receptor protein showed human mimicking character and initiated the application of immune recognition in gustation biosensor, which can precisely and sensitively distinguish sweet substances against other related gustation substances with detection limit of 5.1 pM, far less than that of taste sensors without immune amplification whose detection limit was 0.48 nM. The performance test demonstrated the biosensor has the capacity of monitoring the response of sweet substances in real food environments, which is crucial in practical. This biomimetic electrochemical taste-biosensor can work as a new screening platform for newly developed tastants and disclose sweet perception mechanism.

CariesThe Effect of Sweet Taste Perception on Dental Caries Experience in Relation to Age and Gender in Primary School Children

CariesThe Effect of Sweet Taste Perception on Dental Caries Experience in Relation to Age and Gender in Primary School Children

Reducing sugar intake through chronic swimming training: Exploring palatability changes and central vasopressin mechanisms

Excessive sugar intake has been associated with the onset of several non-communicable chronic diseases seen in humans. Physical activity could affect sweet taste perception which may affect sugar intake. Therefore, it was investigated the chronic effects of swimming training on sucrose intake/preference, reactivity to sucrose taste, self-care in neurobehavioral stress, and the possible involvement of the vasopressin type V1 receptor in sucrose solution intake. Male Wistar rats, of from different cohorts were used, subjected to a sedentary lifestyle (SED) or swimming training (TR - 1 h/day, 5×/week, for 8 weeks, with no added load). Weekly intake was verified in SED and TR rats after access to a sucrose solution 1×/week, 2 h/day, for eight weeks. Chronic effects of swimming and/or a sedentary lifestyle were carried out three days after the end of the physical exercise protocol. Swimming training reduced the intake of sucrose solution from the third week onwards in the two-bottle test measured once a week for 8 weeks. After the ending of the swimming protocol, sucrose intake was also reduced as per its preference. This reduced intake is probably correlated with the carbohydrate aspect of sucrose since saccharin intake was not affected. In addition, chronic swimming training was shown to reduce ingestive responses, increase neutral responses, without interfering with aversive, in the sucrose solution taste reactivity test. In addition, these results are not related to a depressive-like behavior, nor to neurobehavioral stress. Furthermore, treatment with vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist abolished the reduced sucrose intake in trained rats. The results suggest that swimming performed chronically is capable of reducing intake and preference for sucrose by decreasing the palatability of sucrose without causing depressive-type behavior or stress. In addition, the results also suggest that central V1 vasopressin receptors are part of the mechanisms activated to reduce sucrose intake in trained rats.

Fat- and sugar-induced signals regulate sweet and fat taste perception in Drosophila

In this study, we investigate the interplay between taste perception and macronutrients. While sugar's and protein's self-regulation of taste perception is known, the role of fat remains unclear. We reveal that in Drosophila, fat overconsumption reduces fatty acid taste in favor of sweet perception. Conversely, sugar intake increases fatty acid perception and suppresses sweet taste. Genetic investigations show that the sugar signal, gut-secreted Hedgehog, suppresses sugar taste and enhances fatty acid perception. Fat overconsumption induces unpaired 2 (Upd2) secretion from adipose tissue to the hemolymph. We reveal taste neurons take up Upd2, which triggers Domeless suppression of fatty acid perception. We further show that the downstream JAK/STAT signaling enhances sweet perception and, via Socs36E, fine-tunes Domeless activity and the fatty acid taste perception. Together, our results show that sugar regulates Hedgehog signaling and fat induces Upd2 signaling to balance nutrient intake and to regulate sweet and fat taste perception.

Sweetness preference and its impact on energy intake and body weight - a review of evidence.

In the last few years, several approaches have been postulated for tackling the global increase in overweight and obesity rates, including different dietary macronutrient compositions or the timing of meals. Recently, taste modulation has come into focus as a possible approach for influencing dietary behavior. The perception of sweet taste is innate and an evolutionary protection mechanism to prevent primates from eating poisonous plants. It is hypothesized that this innate sweetness preference could be modulated by dietary sweetness, including sweet foods and beverages, which results in a learned sweetness preference that affects energy intake and body weight. However, this hypothesis is not supported by unanimous scientific evidence. This review provides an update of the current literature, regarding the modulation of sweetness preference as a possible new approach in the prevention of overweight and obesity. In general, results from observation as well as interventional studies in all age groups are heterogeneous. The majority showed no effect of dietary sweetness modulation on sweetness preference, energy intake or anthropometric measures. Therefore, the modulation of sweetness preference due to diet, foods or beverages is still a hypothesis and not scientifically proven. However, due to the lack of data, more research is necessary.

Sweet Taste: From Perception to Evaluation

Abstract—Sweetness is the strongest gustatory modality, which shapes eating behavior and influences homeostasis. The review summarizes data on the perception and encoding of taste signals at the level of taste receptors and brain centers during consumption of sweet substances. We focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of sweet taste identification and determination of food caloric content, including the role of membrane receptor proteins T1R2/T1R3 and signal transduction enzyme cascades, as well as a metabolic mechanism for estimating the concentration of glucose in the cytoplasm. Genetic aspects of sweet sensitivity and the influence of sweet taste receptor gene polymorphisms on sensitivity to sugar and low-calorie sweeteners are described. The review presents results of modern studies of endocrine, paracrine and autocrine modulation of sweet taste perception and evaluation depending on the metabolic state of the body. The assumption of a promising research area on the problem is made.

Dietary Sugar Research in Preschoolers: Methodological, Genetic, and Cardiometabolic Considerations.

Excess dietary sugar intake increases the risk of unhealthy weight gain, an important cardiometabolic risk factor in children. To further our understanding of this relationship, we performed a narrative review using two approaches. First, research examining dietary sugar intake, its associations with cardiometabolic health, impact of genetics on sweet taste perception and intake, and how genetics moderates the association of dietary sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in preschool-aged children 1.5-5 years old is reviewed. Second, methodological considerations for collecting and analyzing dietary intake of sugar, genetic information, and markers of cardiometabolic health among young children are provided. Our key recommendations include the following for researchers: (1) Further longitudinal research on sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk factors is warranted to inform policy decisions and guidelines for healthy eating in preschool-aged children. (2) Consistency in sugar definitions is needed across research studies to aid with comparisons of results. (3) Select dietary collection tools specific to each study's aim and sugar definition(s). (4) Limit subjectivity of dietary assessment tools as this impacts interpretation of study results. (5) Choose non-invasive biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease until the strengths and limitations of available biomarkers in preschool-aged children are clarified. (6) Select approaches that account for the polygenic nature of cardiometabolic disease such as genome risk scores and genome wide association studies to assess how genetics moderates the relationship between dietary sugar intake and cardiometabolic risk. This review highlights potential recommendations that will support a research environment to help inform policy decisions and healthy eating policies to reduce cardiometabolic risk in young children.