Quantifying Sweet Taste Liker Phenotypes: Time for Some Consistency in the Classification Criteria

Abstract

Taste hedonics is a well-documented driver of food consumption. The role of sweetness in directing ingestive behavior is largely rooted in biology. One can then intuit that individual differences in sweet-liking may constitute an indicator of variations in the susceptibility to diet-related health outcomes. Despite half a century of research on sweet-liking, the best method to identify the distinct responses to sweet taste is still debated. To help resolve this issue, liking and intensity ratings for eight sucrose solutions ranging from 0 to 1 M were collected from 148 young adults (29% men). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed three response patterns: a sweet-liker (SL) phenotype characterized by a rise in liking as concentration increased, an inverted U-shaped phenotype with maximum liking at 0.25 M, and a sweet-disliker (SD) phenotype characterized by a decline in liking as a function of concentration. Based on sensitivity and specificity analyses, present data suggest the clearest discrimination between phenotypes is seen with 1.0 M sucrose, where a liking rating between −15 and +15 on a −50/+50 scale reliably distinguished individuals with an inverted U-shaped response from the SLs and the SDs. If the efficacy of this approach is confirmed in other populations, the discrimination criteria identified here can serve as the basis for a standard method for classifying sweet taste liker phenotypes in adults.

Patterns of Oral Microbiota Diversity in Adults and Children: A Crowdsourced Population Study

“…Sweet-liking phenotypes differed between children and adults. Sweet-liking phenotypes identified for children were "likers" and "dislikers", while adult phenotypes also included an additional phenotype of "neutral" 35,37 . These sweet-liking phenotypes are not associated with sex, age, or BMI, but adult sweet "likers" did consume more sweet beverages than "neutral likers" 35 .…”

“…to individual differences in sweetness preference as concentration varies 37 . Sweet "likers" rate increasing concentrations of sweetness as increasingly liked, sweet "dislikers" rate increasing concentrations of sweetness as increasingly disliked, and "neutral" individuals provide consistent liking ratings regardless of sweetness concentration.…”

“…Liking responses to these solutions were used to identify sweet-liking phenotypes. Sweet-liking phenotypes have been correlated with dietary intake of sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages, so associations between sweet-liking phenotype and oral microbiome composition were explored [35][36][37] . Employing a crowdsourcing data collection model provided a unique opportunity to test previously published and potentially novel characteristics that affect or are affected by oral microbiome composition within a general population 38,39 .…”

GC-MS Based Metabolite Profiling to Monitor Ripening-Specific Metabolites in Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

“…This study showed the sucrose level in pineapple peel part was increased during ripening ( Figure 6b) while previous report mentioned the increase of sucrose during ripening process in pineapple flesh [21]. Sucrose was known to become a source of sweet taste in food and commonly used as a standard solution for sweetness [54]. However, sucrose in the peel part might not directly affect the sweetness in the flesh.…”

Adolescents taste sensitivities in clinical practice

“…Overconsumption of sodium, primarily in the form of salt (sodium chloride), is associated with higher incidence of hypertension, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke [4]. Overconsumption of sweet products is associated with overweight and metabolic syndrome, which indirectly causes blood pressure elevation [5]. This relation has led health agencies worldwide to call for a reduction of some food components, most recently evidenced by the revised US Dietary Guidelines [6].…”