Genetic Background of Taste Perception, Taste Preferences, and Its Nutritional Implications: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: The rise in nutrition-related morbidity and mortality requires public health intervention programs targeting nutritional behavior. In addition to socio-economical, socio-cultural, psychological determinants, taste is one of the main factors that influence food choices. Differences in taste perception and sensitivity may be explained by genetic variations, therefore the knowledge of the extent to which genetic factors influence the development of individual taste preferences and eating patterns is important for public policy actions addressing nutritional behaviors. Our aim was to review genetic polymorphisms accounting for variability in taste and food preferences to contribute to an improved understanding of development of taste and food preferences. Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using MeSH in PubMed and free text terms for articles published between January 1, 2000 and April 13, 2018. The search strategy was conducted following the PRISMA statement. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the validated Q-Genie tool. Results: Following the PRISMA flowchart, finally 103 articles were included in the review. Among the reviewed studies, 43 were rated to have good quality, 47 were rated to have moderate quality, and 13 were rated to have low quality. The majority of the studies assessed the association of genetic variants with the bitter taste modality, followed by articles analyzing the impact of polymorphisms on sweet and fat preferences. The number of studies investigating the association between umami, salty, and sour taste qualities and genetic polymorphisms was limited. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a significant association exists between TAS2R38 variants (rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939) and bitter and sweet taste preference. Other confirmed results are related to rs1761667 (CD36) and fat taste responsiveness. Otherwise further research is essential to confirm results of studies related to genetic variants and individual taste sensitivity. This knowledge may enhance our understanding

Investigating the Relationships between Basic Tastes Sensitivities, Fattiness Sensitivity, and Food Liking in 11-Year-Old Children

“…The 6-n-propylthiouracil, also known as PROP, is a chemical compound commonly used to measure subjects' responsiveness to bitterness [14]. However, responsiveness to PROP may not reflect responsiveness to all bitter compounds; this measure is specifically related to the genetic variants of taste receptor TAS2R38 for bitter perception [10,15]. Indeed, PROP is chemically similar to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and sensitivity to these compounds was reported to be associated with the TAS2R38 receptor [16][17][18][19].…”

“…In addition, the taste of fat (also called oleogustus) has been suggested as the sixth taste modality [28], with a gustatory pathway devoted to the perception of lipids [29]. The association between the different basic tastes and their taste receptors has been widely investigated, with the results suggesting that genetic variants may contribute to individual taste sensitivity [15,30]. Differences in taste sensitivity contribute to a variety of eating practices and food choices [31].…”

Predominant Qualities Evoked by Quinine, Sucrose, and Capsaicin Associate With PROP Bitterness, but not TAS2R38 Genotype

“…Since discovery of the functional polymorphisms in TAS2R38 in 2003, many of the relationships originally reported between PROP intensity and other sensory properties have been attributed to genetic variation in TAS2R38. Critically however, it would be inaccurate to conclude that all observed relationships between the suprathreshold bitterness of PROP (e.g., (Hayes et al 2008;Hayes and Keast 2011;Webb et al 2015)) and differences in food sensations, affective responses, or food intake (see reviews by (Diószegi et al 2019;Keller and Adise 2016)) are due to functional variation in a bitter taste receptor that is narrowly tuned to the N-C=S moiety found on thiourea compounds (Barnicot et al 1951;Wooding et al 2010). For example, there is no simple biologically plausible mechanism by which TAS2R38 genotype should influence a sensation like creaminess, yet, the absence of a simple mechanism does not preclude a reproduceable relationship between PROP bitterness (the phenotype) and creaminess (e.g., (Hayes and Duffy 2007;Tepper and Nurse 1998)).…”

Taste and Food Preferences of the Hungarian Roma Population

“…Low consumption of fruits and vegetables can be linked to the low socioeconomic status of Roma people, but food preferences representing certain taste modalities may also be influenced by other (e.g., cultural, genetic) factors. The genetic background of bitter taste preference is well-established, and research suggests the effects of genetic variations on other taste modalities as well [reviewed in (37)]. It is reasonable to suppose that genetic diversity underlies the differences in the taste-related food preferences of Roma people, since interethnic differences were found in certain genetic polymorphisms between the Roma and majority populations in Europe [reviewed in (52,53) and discussed in depths in (54,55)].…”