Sweet Taste Preference Research Articles

Genetic Preference for Sweet Taste in Mothers Associates with Mother-Child Preference and Intake.

Taste perception is a well-documented driving force in food selection, with variations in, e.g., taste receptor encoding and glucose transporter genes conferring differences in taste sensitivity and food intake. We explored the impact of maternal innate driving forces on sweet taste preference and intake and assessed whether their children differed in their intake of sweet foods or traits related to sweet intake. A total of 133 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes reported to associate with eating preferences were sequenced from saliva-DNA from 187 mother-and-child pairs. Preference and intake of sweet-, bitter-, sour-, and umami-tasting foods were estimated from questionnaires. A total of 32 SNP variants associated with a preference for sweet taste or intake at a p-value < 0.05 in additive, dominant major, or dominant minor allele models, with two passing corrections for multiple testing (q < 0.05). These were rs7513755 in the TAS1R2 gene and rs34162196 in the OR10G3 gene. Having the T allele of rs34162196 was associated with higher sweet intake in mothers and their children, along with a higher BMI in mothers. Having the G allele of rs7513755 was associated with a higher preference for sweets in the mothers. The rs34162196 might be a candidate for a genetic score for sweet intake to complement self-reported intakes.

Associated factors to the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners in the Mexican adult population

Objective. To identify the associated factors to the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) in the Mexican adult population since its consumption has increased exponentially worldwide. Materials and methods. An online survey was applied to 5 038 Mexican adults to evaluate the frequency of NNS consumption and classify the population in tertiles. The sociodemographic, lifestyle and health status characteristics of the participants were compared by gradient of NNS consumption, and a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the associated factors to the NNS consumption. Results. The variables that showed a positive association (p≤0.01) with the consumption of NNS were economic income, BMI, smoking, physical activity, diet quality, the presence of chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemias), and the consumption of fruit. The age and the consumption of confectionery and sugar-sweetened beverages were negatively associated (p&lt;0.01) with the consumption of NNS. Conclusion. The results of this study help to characterize the target population that is a consumer of NNS since it is recommended not encourage the preference for sweet taste and to promote a decrease in the consumption of both caloric and NNS, preferring the natural flavor of food.

A Transcription Factor Etv1/Er81 Is Involved in the Differentiation of Sweet, Umami, and Sodium Taste Cells.

Taste cells are maintained by continuous turnover throughout a lifetime, yet the mechanisms of taste cell differentiation, and how taste sensations remain constant despite this continuous turnover, remain poorly understood. Here, we report that a transcription factor Etv1 (also known as Er81) is involved in the differentiation of taste cells responsible for the preference for sweet, umami, and salty tastes. Molecular analyses revealed that Etv1 is expressed by a subset of taste cells that depend on Skn-1a (also known as Pou2f3) for their generation and express T1R genes (responsible for sweet and umami tastes) or Scnn1a (responsible for amiloride-sensitive salty taste). Etv1CreERT2/CreERT2 mice express Etv1 isoform(s) but not Etv1 in putative proprioceptive neurons as comparable to wild-type mice, yet lack expression of Etv1 or an isoform in taste cells. These Etv1CreERT2/CreERT2 mice have the same population of Skn-1a-dependent cells in taste buds as wild-type mice but have altered gene expression in taste cells, with regional differences. They have markedly decreased electrophysiological responses of chorda tympani nerves to sweet and umami tastes and to amiloride-sensitive salty taste evoked by sodium cation, but they have unchanged responses to bitter or sour tastes. Our data thus show that Etv1 is involved in the differentiation of the taste cells responsible for sweet, umami, and salty taste preferences.

Study protocol of the sweet tooth study, randomized controlled trial with partial food provision on the effect of low, regular and high dietary sweetness exposure on sweetness preferences in Dutch adults

BackgroundSeveral health organizations recommend lowering the consumption of sweet-tasting foods. The rationale behind this recommendation is that a lower exposure to sweet foods may reduce preferences for sweet tasting foods, thus lowering sugar and energy intake, and in turn aiding in obesity prevention. However, empirical data supporting this narrative are lacking. In fact, relatively little is known about the contribution of long-term sweet taste exposure on one’s sweetness preferences.MethodsThe primary objective of this randomized controlled trial is to assess the effect of low, regular and high dietary sweetness exposure on preference for sweet foods and beverages, and to compare these effects between intervention groups. One hundred and eighty adults aged 18–65 years with a BMI of 18.5–30.0 kg/m2 will be recruited and randomly allocated to either: low dietary sweetness exposure (LSE) (10–15% daily energy from sweet tasting foods), regular dietary sweetness exposure (RSE) (25–30% daily energy from sweet tasting foods), or high dietary sweetness exposure (HSE) (40–45% daily energy from sweet tasting foods), for 6 months, followed by a 4-month follow up. Intervention foods are provided ad libitum, covering approximately 50% of the daily number of food items, to include sugar-sweetened, low-calorie-sweetener-sweetened and non-sweet foods. The primary outcome measure is the difference in change in sweetness preference from baseline to 6 months between intervention groups. Secondary outcomes include: change in sweet taste preferences at different time-points; taste intensity perception; behavioral outcomes: food choice and intake, sweet-liker type, food cravings, dietary taste preferences and dietary taste patterns; anthropometric outcomes: body composition, waist-hip circumference, body weight; and biochemical outcomes: glucose variability and biomarkers related to CVD and diabetes.DiscussionThis study will generate important data on the effect of dietary sweetness exposure on sweetness preferences in terms of effect size and change, duration of change and its impact on food intake, body weight status and associated health outcomes.Trial RegistrationThe study protocol has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ID no. NCT04497974, Registered 4 August 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04497974) and approved by Wageningen’s Medical Ethical Committee (ABR no. NL72134).

Sweet Taste Preference Status and its Association with Preference for the Four Basic Taste Modalities of Various Food

Sweetness preference is a complex sensation involving multidisciplinary fields and it has been studied extensively. However, there is still limited information on how the status of the sweet preference of individuals influences their preference for other taste modalities. Thus, this study was conducted to observe the difference in the preference for various types of foods based on the four taste modalities, with sweet taste preference (STP) status. This cross-sectional study involved 156 university students in Kelantan, Malaysia. The preference test of tea drink sweetness was determined using the hedonic test. Subjects were grouped into low, medium, and high STP according to their STP level. The preference for the taste modalities of different food groups was determined by using a questionnaire. The results indicated that the majority of subjects were in the medium STP group. Foods categorized under the sweet taste group were mostly correlated with the STP status, followed by salty and sour foods. There was no correlation (p&gt;0.05) between STP status and bitter foods. This result agrees with the principal component analysis (PCA). Two factors were extracted from PCA, in which the first factor explained 56.41% and the second factor explained 20.45% of the variance. Sweetness is related to foods that are categorized under salty and sour tastes, but not related to bitter tastes. This study shows that sweetness preference status is associated with preference for two other basic tastes. The high STP subject not only prefers sweet foods but also favors foods from salty and sour groups.

Plasma FGF21 Levels Are Not Associated with Weight Loss or Improvements in Metabolic Health Markers upon 12 Weeks of Energy Restriction: Secondary Analysis of an RCT.

Recent studies suggest that circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) may be a marker of metabolic health status. We performed a secondary analysis of a 12-week randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of two energy restriction (ER) diets on fasting and postprandial plasma FGF21 levels, as well as to explore correlations of plasma FGF21 with metabolic health markers, (macro)nutrient intake and sweet-taste preference. Abdominally obese subjects aged 40-70 years (n = 110) were randomized to one of two 25% ER diets (high-nutrient-quality diet or low-nutrient-quality diet) or a control group. Plasma FGF21 was measured in the fasting state and 120 min after a mixed meal. Both ER diets did not affect fasting or postprandial plasma FGF21 levels despite weight loss and accompanying health improvements. At baseline, the postprandial FGF21 response was inversely correlated to fasting plasma glucose (ρ = -0.24, p = 0.020) and insulin (ρ = -0.32, p = 0.001), HOMA-IR (ρ = -0.34, p = 0.001), visceral adipose tissue (ρ = -0.24, p = 0.046), and the liver enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (ρ = -0.23, p = 0.021). Diet-induced changes in these markers did not correlate to changes in plasma FGF21 levels upon intervention. Baseline higher habitual polysaccharide intake, but not mono- and disaccharide intake or sweet-taste preference, was related to lower fasting plasma FGF21 (p = 0.022). In conclusion, we found no clear evidence that fasting plasma FGF21 is a marker for metabolic health status. Circulating FGF21 dynamics in response to an acute nutritional challenge may reflect metabolic health status better than fasting levels.

Recovery of sweet taste preference in adult rats following bilateral chorda tympani nerve transection.

Numerous studies have noted the effect of chorda tympani (CT) nerve transection on taste sensitivity yet very few have directly observed its effects on taste receptor and taste signaling protein expressions in the tongue tissue. In this study, bilateral CT nerve transection was performed in adult Sprague Dawley rats after establishing behavioral taste preference for sweet, bitter, and salty taste via short term two-bottle preference testing using a lickometer setup. Taste preference for all animals were subsequently monitored. The behavioral testing was paired with tissue sampling and protein expression analysis. Paired groups of CT nerve transected animals (CTX) and sham operated animals (SHAM) were sacrificed 7, 14, and 28 days post operation. Immunofluorescence staining of extracted tongue tissues shows that CT nerve transection resulted in micro-anatomical changes akin to previous investigations. Among the three taste qualities tested, only the preference for sweet taste was drastically affected. Subsequent results of the short-term two-bottle preference test indicated recovery of sweet taste preference over the course of 28 days. This recovery could possibly be due to maintenance of T1R3, GNAT3, and TRPM5 proteins allowing adaptable recovery of sweet taste preference despite down-regulation of both T1R2 and Sonic hedgehog proteins in CTX animals. This study is the first known attempt to correlate the disruption in taste preference with the altered expression of taste receptors and taste signaling proteins in the tongue brought about by CT nerve transection.

The importance of the taste preferences and sensitivity of mothers and their children in the aspect of excessive body weight of children.

Food selection among adults and mostly children depends mainly on the taste of a dish. Poor taste sensitivity as well as strong preferences for sweet and fat taste may be the factors predisposing children to become overweight and/or develop obesity. Family environment, including mothers' eating habits and preferences, may affect children's taste perception and preferences. The aim of the study was to assess taste perception and preferences in children and their mothers in relation to their weight status. Sensory tests were carried out using puddings with different sugar and fat content. In all study participants anthropometric measurements (weight and height with BMI calculation) were performed. The study results did not reveal any differences in the taste sensitivity of overweight/obese and normative body weight children. Similarity was found in the perception of different levels of sweet/fat flavors among children and parents. Overweight/obese children were two times more likely to choose a very fat and very sweet taste compared to normal weight children. The results showed that children prefer a sweet taste more often than their mothers. Mothers' fat taste preferences were important - the fatter the taste they selected, the greater the percentage of children with obesity. Mothers' taste sensitivity may affect children's perception of the quality (intensity) of flavors. Normal-weight children chose a low fat and low sweet taste more frequently than those with excess of body weight. The role of parents in shaping taste preferences is of utmost importance and should be based on limiting the consumption of products rich in sugar and/or fat.

THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY TRAITS AND MOOD IN TASTE PREFERENCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Objective: The current study was conducted to investigate the relationship between personality traits, mood and taste preference among university students. Design: Correlational and Cross-sectional research design was used for the present study. Method: The sample was comprised of 170 university students, 83 males and 87 females with age range 18-25 years. The sample size was calculated through G*power. Data was collected online through google form. The Big Five Inventory-10, Brief Mood Introspection and a self-constructed taste preference scale were used to assess personality traits, mood and taste preference respectively. Results: The results suggested that some specific personality traits were correlated with specific taste preferences such as agreeableness was associated with salty, sour, and sweet taste preferences while negatively associated with bitter taste preference. As well as extraversion was significantly positively associated with salty taste preference. On the other hand, pleasant mood was also shown to have positive correlation with salty, sweet, spicy, and sour taste preference. The finding of current research also showed that women are more likely to prefer salty, spicy, and sour tastes than men. Conclusion: There are some specific mood and personality traits that are related with specific taste preferences. Gender differences indicated that women are more likely to prefer food on the basis of its taste while men are more likely to prefer food on the basis of amount of its calories. Implication: The present research would be useful in health settings in order to design diet plans for obese individuals according to their personality, mood and related food choices.

Influence of excessive sucrose consumption on exploratory behaviour in rats – Possible implications for the brain reward system

Due to the low cost of production and the strong evolutionary preference for sweet taste in humans, sugar is added to many food products. This leads to often involuntary overconsumption of high amounts of sugar. Yet, growing evidence indicates that high-sugar diets impact brain function and impair cognitive ability. It may be due to physiological changes in specific regions of the brain or/and maladaptive changes in dopamine signalling similar to those observed in the etiology of addiction. In our study, rats from the experimental group were kept on a feeding protocol involving intermittent access to sucrose solution for eight weeks. Then, the animals underwent a spontaneous exploration test in an experimental arena divided into three zones where stationary and movable objects were placed. Studying the rats’ exploratory behaviour allowed us to assess the impact of the sucrose diet on a broad spectrum of behaviours related to the general functioning of the organism in its environment. Analyses showed differences in reaction to novelty between different diet groups which had been placed in different experimental setups. Rats from the sugar-fed group responded to change with more pronounced exploratory behaviours directed at the source of the novel stimuli and the surrounding environment. These results may indicate a lower reward value of novelty resulting from diminished responsiveness of the reward system in the sugar-diet group. We have not found evidence for memory and/or learning impairments in rats on the sugar-rich diet.

Central FGF21 production regulates memory but not peripheral metabolism.

SUMMARYFibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a liver-derived endocrine hormone that functions to regulate energy homeostasis and macronutrient intake. Recently, FGF21 was reported to be produced and secreted from hypothalamic tanycytes, to regulate peripheral lipid metabolism; however, rigorous investigation of FGF21 expression in the brain has yet to be accomplished. Using a mouse model that drives CRE recombinase in FGF21-expressing cells, we demonstrate that FGF21 is not expressed in the hypothalamus, but instead is produced from the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), an essential brain region for spatial learning and memory. Furthermore, we find that central FGF21 produced in the RSC enhances spatial memory but does not regulate energy homeostasis or sugar intake. Finally, our data demonstrate that administration of FGF21 prolongs the duration of long-term potentiation in the hippocampus and enhances activation of hippocampal neurons. Thus, endogenous and pharmacological FGF21 appear to function in the hippocampus to enhance spatial memory.

Rice yogurt with various beans fermented by lactic acid bacteria from kimchi.

In this study, the rice yogurt with various beans was developed using a mixture of rice saccharification solution as an artificial sweetener substitute and bean milk as a milk substitute. Rice yogurt was fermented with lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi. The lactic acid bacteria count in rice yogurt with various beans had the highest range of 9.37- 9.54 log CFU/g at 12h fermentation. Also, at 12h fermentation, pH ranged from 4.05 to 4.20. Rice yogurt with seoritae had the highest brix (15.52°Bx) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (41.86%). In the sensory evaluation, rice yogurt with seoritae received high preference scores in most categories, including flavor, sweet taste, sour taste, mouthfeel and overall preference. These findings suggest that the optimum fermentation time may be 12h, and rice saccharification solution is an appropriate sugar substitute. Seoritae milk is suitable for the development of rice yogurt with beans.

Alteration of sweet taste receptor expression in circumvallate papillae of mice with decreased sweet taste preference induced by social defeat stress

Anhedonia is a key diagnostic symptom and central feature of depression symptomatology, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether the decrease of sweet taste preference, anhedonia-like behavior in experimental animals, was accompanied by alteration of sweet taste receptor expression in circumvallate papillae (CP) of social defeat stress (SDS)-subjected mice. By subjecting to 10-d SDS, male BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice with decreased sociability in a social interaction test were defined as SDS-susceptible ones, and they exhibited a depressive-like behavior in a forced swim test. In SDS-susceptible BALB/c mice, a two-bottle choice test with a sucrose solution revealed a reduction of sweet taste preference, while expression of sweet taste receptors, T1R2 and T1R3, in their CP was elevated, and the morphology of taste buds and numbers of type II-taste cells were not changed. In CP of SDS-susceptible C57BL/6J mice without a decrease of sweet taste preference, in contrast, there was no alteration of sweet taste receptor expression. Together with the finding that the body weight gain of SDS-susceptible BALB/c mice was apparently less than that of control ones, differing from the case of SDS-susceptible C57BL/6J ones, it is suggested that expression of sweet taste receptors in CP of SDS-susceptible BALB/c mice with decreased sweet taste preference might be upregulated to compensate for the stress-induced increase of energy expenditure.

Does Bypass of the Proximal Small Intestine Impact Food Intake, Preference, and Taste Function in Humans? An Experimental Medicine Study Using the Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass Liner.

The duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (Endobarrier) is an endoscopic treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It creates exclusion of the proximal small intestine similar to that after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) surgery. The objective of this study was to employ a reductionist approach to determine whether bypass of the proximal intestine is the component conferring the effects of RYGB on food intake and sweet taste preference using the Endobarrier as a research tool. A nested mechanistic study within a large randomised controlled trial compared the impact of lifestyle modification with vs. without Endobarrier insertion in patients with obesity and T2DM. Forty-seven participants were randomised and assessed at several timepoints using direct and indirect assessments of food intake, food preference and taste function. Patients within the Endobarrier group lost numerically more weight compared to the control group. Using food diaries, our results demonstrated similar reductions of food intake in both groups. There were no significant differences in food preference and sensory, appetitive reward, or consummatory reward domain of sweet taste function between groups or changes within groups. In conclusion, the superior weight loss seen in patients with obesity and T2DM who underwent the Endobarrier insertion was not due to a reduction in energy intake or change in food preferences.

Taste preferences of preschoolers and parents' contribution to shaping their children's eating habits in the context of obesity development.

Improper diet of children and their preference for sweet taste may be risk factors for the development of obesity and childhood caries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the taste preferences of preschoolers and to estimate the methods used by parents to shape the nutritional behaviour of their children. The research covered 108 preschool children and 86 parents. All children completed a pictorial questionnaire containing images of 32 food products. The children expressed their preferences (I really like, I like, I don't like) by choosing the appropriate emoji. The questionnaire for parents concerned the diet of children on days off from kindergarten. The nutritional status of children was evaluated on the basis of the BMI. Children with normal weight/underweight and those overweight / obese were compared using χ2 or the exact Fisher test. Most preschoolers indicated that they liked the most crisps, jam, sweets, chocolate and sweet drinks. They also enjoyed fruits which are naturally sweet: apples (97%) and bananas (94%). The favourite vegetables were cucumbers (84%), potatoes (83%), and carrots (77%). Children had a tendency to make incorrect food choices. Fast food was very popular, while fish was disliked. Parents reported that children like meatless sweet dishes (crêpes, pancakes, dumplings). Such factors as unlimited access to sweets at home (p=0.05) and rewarding/motivation with sweets (p=0.013) were significantly associated with a child's overweight/obesity status. Excess body weight was found in 22.1% of children (overweight - 3.5 %; obesity -18.6%). Children had a clear preference for sweet taste. Reducing the consumption of sweets and increasing the nutritional awareness of parents and children may prevent the development of childhood obesity.

Impact of aerobic exercises on taste perception for sucrose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundRegular exercise is a key element in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although the importance of regular exercises on glycemic control in people with diabetes is studied extensively, evidence is lacking on its impact on sweet taste perception. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the impact of aerobic exercises on taste perception for sucrose in people with diabetes.MethodsA sample of 225 people with diabetes aged 35-60 years was assigned randomly into 3 groups; aerobic exercise, combined exercise and a control group. The outcomes of the combined exercise group is not reported. The aerobic exercise group performed brisk walking 30min/day, 4-5days/week for 6 months. The primary outcome measures were supra-threshold intensity ratings and preference for sucrose assessed at baseline, at 3 and 6 months using ‘general Labeled Magnitude Scale’ and ‘Monell 2-series-forced choice method’ respectively. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level was assessed at baseline and at 6 months to determine glycemic control.ResultsAerobic exercise group showed significantly increased ratings (mm) for higher sucrose concentrations at 3 months (mean difference for 2.02M; +6.63±2.50, p=0.048 and for 0.64M; +7.26±2.76, p=0.026) and at 6 months (mean difference for 0.64M; +7.79±4.49, p= 0.044) compared to baseline and also when compared to controls (mean difference for 2.02M between baseline and 3 months; intervention: +6.63±2.50, control: -4.01±1.79, p=0.02 and between baseline and 6 months for 2.02M; intervention: +3.15±0.57, control: -7.96±0.40, p=0.022 and for 0.64M; intervention: +7.79±4.49, control: -8.98±0.99, p=0.003). A significantly reduced preference (mol/L) was seen both at 3 (mean difference; -0.03±0.02, p= 0.037) and at 6 months (mean difference; -0.05±0.12, p=0.011) compared to baseline within the intervention group. Also, a significant reduction was seen in the intervention group compared to controls at 6 months (mean difference; intervention: -0.05±0.12, control: 0.01±0.03, p=0.044). HbA1c was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to controls at 6 months (mean difference; intervention -0.43±1.6%, control +0.33±1.8%, p=0.018).ConclusionRegular aerobic exercises increase the sweet taste sensitivity, especially for higher concentrations of sucrose and decrease sweet taste preference in people with diabetes . These alterations in sweet taste perception, are likely to contribute to a better glycemic control in people with diabetes.Trial registrationThis trial was registered at the Sri Lanka Clinical Trial registry on 16/12/2015. (Trial registration number- SLCTR/2015/029, https://slctr.lk/trials/slctr-2015-029).

Incidence of Dental Caries in Relation to Sweet Taste Perception and Dietary Habits among Students - A Cross Sectional Study.

Aim:The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of sweet taste perception on dietary habits among students. Furthermore, the relationship between dietary habits and caries was studied.Methodology:cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 college-going students aged 18–23 years from the Asan Memorial Institutions. The frequency of consumption of certain food items was analyzed from a Beverage and Snack Questionnaire, and the dietary record was obtained for 3 days. The sweet taste perception level was determined as sweet taste threshold and sweet taste preference. According to the sweet taste perception level, children were grouped into low, medium, and high. Decayed, missing, and filled teeth index was used for recording the incidence of caries.Results:High sweet threshold and preference groups showed an increased incidence of dental caries compared to the low and medium threshold and preference groups.Conclusion:Sweet taste perception level influenced the dietary habits and intake of sweets. The relationship between the dietary habits and the caries was found to be significant.

Sweet Taste Preference: Relationships with Other Tastes, Liking for Sugary Foods and Exploratory Genome-Wide Association Analysis in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome.

Taste perception and its association with nutrition and related diseases (type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular, etc.) are emerging fields of biomedicine. There is currently great interest in investigating the environmental and genetic factors that influence sweet taste and sugary food preferences for personalized nutrition. Our aims were: (1) to carry out an integrated analysis of the influence of sweet taste preference (both in isolation and in the context of other tastes) on the preference for sugary foods and its modulation by type 2 diabetes status; (2) as well as to explore new genetic factors associated with sweet taste preference. We studied 425 elderly white European subjects with metabolic syndrome and analyzed taste preference, taste perception, sugary-foods liking, biochemical and genetic markers. We found that type 2 diabetic subjects (38%) have a small, but statistically higher preference for sweet taste (p = 0.021) than non-diabetic subjects. No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in preferences for the other tastes (bitter, salty, sour or umami) were detected. For taste perception, type 2 diabetic subjects have a slightly lower perception of all tastes (p = 0.026 for the combined “total taste score”), bitter taste being statistically lower (p = 0.023). We also carried out a principal component analysis (PCA), to identify latent variables related to preferences for the five tastes. We identified two factors with eigenvalues >1. Factor 2 was the one with the highest correlation with sweet taste preference. Sweet taste preference was strongly associated with a liking for sugary foods. In the exploratory SNP-based genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified some SNPs associated with sweet taste preference, both at the suggestive and at the genome-wide level, especially a lead SNP in the PTPRN2 (Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type N2) gene, whose minor allele was associated with a lower sweet taste preference. The PTPRN2 gene was also a top-ranked gene obtained in the gene-based exploratory GWAS analysis. In conclusion, sweet taste preference was strongly associated with sugary food liking in this population. Our exploratory GWAS identified an interesting candidate gene related with sweet taste preference, but more studies in other populations are required for personalized nutrition.

Psychological Effects of Sweet Taste and Sweet Taste Preference

This review summarizes current studies on the psychological effects of sweet taste and its role in overweight and obesity. Recent psychological studies demonstrate intriguing relationships between the experience of sweet taste and social perceptions and behavior. For example, studies show that experiencing sweet taste affects “helping behavior” or interest in initiating a romantic relationship. Furthermore, given that the role of sweet taste in obesity has been suggested, we reviewed studies on the relationship between sweet taste preference and eating behavior, thereby examining the role of sweet taste (and the preference for it) in the global rise of overweight and obesity in adults and children. Finally, we provide an outlook on future research perspectives on the psychological effects of sweet taste, and suggest some fundamental issues that future research should address to help provide a comprehensive understanding of how sweet taste and sweet taste preference affect our thinking and eating behaviors.

Trends in food sensory science

Trends in food sensory science