Taste perception, associated hormonal modulation, and nutrient intake

Abstract

It is well known that taste perception influences food intake. After ingestion, gustatory receptors relay sensory signals to the brain, which segregates, evaluates, and distinguishes the stimuli, leading to the experience known as "flavor." It is well accepted that five taste qualities -sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami -can be perceived by animals. In this review, the anatomy and physiology of human taste buds, the hormonal modulation of taste function, the importance of genetic chemosensory variation, and the influence of gustatory functioning on macronutrient selection and eating behavior are discussed. Individual genotypic variation results in specific phenotypes of food preference and nutrient intake. Understanding the role of taste in food selection and ingestive behavior is important for expanding our understanding of the factors involved in body weight maintenance and the risk of chronic diseases including obesity, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and hypertension.

Association of Oral Fat Sensitivity with Body Mass Index, Taste Preference, and Eating Habits in Healthy Japanese Young Adults

“…After consuming foods, taste receptors relay sensory signals to the brain, which evaluates and distinguishes the stimuli. It is well known that such a taste perception then influences food intake as a food-induced brain response (Smeets et al 2012;Loper et al 2015). Therefore, understanding the role of each taste quality in relation to taste preference and eating habits is crucial for expanding our knowledge of the factors associated with body weight maintenance and the risk of obesity-related health complications.…”

Gut Microbiota in Obesity and Undernutrition

“…Although taste perception is an important player in the regulation of food intake (34), in this review we focus on the more peripheral gastrointestinal signals and their relation to the gut microbiota. After taste, the second signal triggered by food intake is generated by mechanoreceptors in the stomach (35).…”

Glucosensing in the gastrointestinal tract: Impact on glucose metabolism

“…Indeed, paracrine hormones, including GLP-1 and glucagon, influence TRC signaling. The functions of these peptides in taste buds are not fully understood, but it is known that they are able to modulate the response of the peripheral gustatory apparatus and glucosensing mechanisms (49). GLP-1 is present in murine ␣-gustducin/TAS1R3-expressing taste cells in circumvallate papillae, suggesting a potential role for GLP-1 signaling in sweet taste function.…”

“…Sweet gustatory responses to glucose stimuli play an important role in regulating glucose homeostasis through the modulation of neuronal messages to peripheral tissues. There is some evidence demonstrating that, similar to intestinal cells, sugarsensing cells participate in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis and that hormones binding receptors on taste cells alter the palatability of food (49). For example, the presence of GLP-1 in taste bud cells suggests a role for this peptide in the taste of sweet compounds and in gut hormone secretion after meal ingestion.…”

“…For example, the presence of GLP-1 in taste bud cells suggests a role for this peptide in the taste of sweet compounds and in gut hormone secretion after meal ingestion. In animal models deficient for ␣-gustducin, loss of the GLP-1 response to enteric glucose has been observed, thereby highlighting that the insulinotropic effects of GLP-1 are associated with taste signaling molecules, limiting postprandial glucose excursions (49).…”