Plain language summary
There are many known drivers of food choice and habits, however, taste is considered one of the main predictors. Each taste quality is associated with different nutritional or physiological requirements or indicates a potential dietary risk. The main aim of this study was to explore whether variation in gustatory functions among individuals could be related to different dietary patterns and intake. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between gustatory functions and dietary patterns in relation to oral microbiota composition. The study recruited 59 (27 male and 32 female) healthy, normal-weight volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years of age. Seven concentrations for each taste stimulus were prepared to determine the recognition thresholds. Results indicate that: (i) recognition thresholds for the basic tastes were associated with each other, even though in different ways, (ii) interindividual differences in taste perception may influence habitual food consumption and intake, and (iii) there are gender-related differences in food consumption frequency and intake. Authors conclude that nongenetic factors, such as the oral bacteria lining the tongue, should be adequately considered in order to gain new insights into taste-related eating habits that may influence long-term health outcomes.
Abstract
The role of taste perception, its relationship with oral microbiota composition, and their putative link with eating habits and food intake were the focus of the present study. A sample of 59 reportedly healthy adults (27 male, 32 female; age: 23.3 ± 2.6 years) were recruited for the study and taste thresholds for basic tastes, food intake, and oral microbiota composition were evaluated. Differences in taste perception were associated with different habitual food consumption (i.e., frequency) and actual intake. Subjects who were orally hyposensitive to salty taste reported consuming more bakery and salty baked products, saturated-fat-rich products, and soft drinks than hypersensitive subjects. Subjects hyposensitive to sweet taste reported consuming more frequently sweets and desserts than the hypersensitive group. Moreover, subjects hypersensitive to bitter taste showed higher total energy and carbohydrate intakes compared to those who perceived the solution as less bitter. Some bacterial taxa on tongue dorsum were associated with gustatory functions and with vegetable-rich (e.g., Prevotella) or protein/fat-rich diets (e.g., Clostridia). Future studies will be pivotal to confirm the hypothesis and the potential exploitation of oral microbiome as biomarker of long-term consumption of healthy or unhealthy diets.
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