Taste sensitivity, nutritional status and metabolic syndrome: Implication in weight loss dietary interventions

Abstract

AIM:We investigated the relationship between taste sensitivity, nutritional status and metabolic syndrome and possible implications on weight loss dietary program. METHODS:Sensitivity for bitter, sweet, salty and sour tastes was assessed by the three-Alternative-ForcedChoice method in 41 overweight (OW), 52 obese (OB) patients and 56 normal-weight matched controls. OW and OB were assessed also for body composition (by impedence), resting energy expenditure (by indirect calorimetry) and presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and were prescribed a weight loss diet. Compliance to the weight loss dietary program was defined as adherence to control visits and weight loss ≥ 5% in 3 mo. RESULTS:Sex and age-adjusted multiple regression models revealed a significant association between body mass index (BMI) and both sour taste (P < 0.05) and global taste acuity score (GTAS) (P < 0.05), with lower sensitivity with increasing BMI. This trend in sensitivity for sour taste was also confirmed by the model refitted on the OW/OB group while the association with GTAS was marginally significant (P = 0.06). MetS+ subjects presented higher thresholds for salty taste when compared to MetS-patients while no significant difference was detected for the other tastes and GTAS. As assessed by multiple regression model, the association between salty taste and MetS appeared to be independent of sex, age and BMI. Patients continuing the program (n = 37) did not show any difference in baseline taste sensitivity when compared to drop-outs (n = 29). Similarly, no significant difference was detected between patients reporting and not reporting a weight loss ≥ 5% of the initial body weight. No significant difference in taste sensitivity was detected even after dividing patients on the basis of nutritional (OW and OB) or metabolic status (MetS+ and MetS-). CONCLUSION:There is no cause-effect relationship between overweight and metabolic derangements. Taste thresholds assessment is not useful in predicting the outcome of a diet-induced weight loss program.

The Associations Between Oral Complex Carbohydrate Sensitivity, BMI, Liking, and Consumption of Complex Carbohydrate Based Foods

“…In regards to sweet taste, although a range of DTs and STs were observed for glucose, there were no significant differences between sweet taste function, BMI, and consumption frequency of the sweet foods measured. Although the role of taste sensitivity in promoting intake of specific foods or ingredients associated with obesity has been a long‐investigated area of interest, the present findings were consistent with a large body of evidence indicating no significant associations between sweet taste function, BMI, and dietary intake (Bertoli et al., ; Cicerale, Riddell, & Keast, ; Frijters & Rasmussen‐Conrad, ; Grinker, Hirsch, & Smith, ; Low et al., ; Malcolm, O'Neil, Hirsch, Currey, & Moskowitz, ; Rodin, ; Rodin, Moskowitz, & Bray, ; Thompson, Moskowitz, & Campbell, ; Wooley, Wooley, & Dunham, ).…”

Obesity alters adrenergic and chemosensory signaling pathways that regulate ghrelin secretion in the human gut

“…It is unknown whether the continuous overexposure to food in the gut of obese patients affects the sensitivity of bitter and sweet taste receptors of the ghrelin cell and is a contributing factor in the disturbed regulation of ghrelin secretion. At least in the tongue, obese subjects have a higher detection threshold for bitter (23)(24)(25)(26), whereas sweet taste sensitivity has been reported to be higher (27), not changed (23,28), or even lower (25). This is the first study that aimed to investigate at the cellular level in primary gastric cultures or gut mucosal segments of lean (multiorgan donors) and obese subjects the mechanisms that regulate ghrelin secretion and the alterations that occur during obesity.…”

“…It is unknown whether the continuous overexposure to food in the gut of obese patients affects the sensitivity of bitter and sweet taste receptors of the ghrelin cell and is a contributing factor in the disturbed regulation of ghrelin secretion. At least in the tongue, obese subjects have a higher detection threshold for bitter (23–26), whereas sweet taste sensitivity has been reported to be higher (27), not changed (23, 28), or even lower (25).…”

Sensory sensitivity to sour and bitter taste among people with Crohn's disease and folic acid supplementation

“…However, it is noteworthy that there were a high percentage of people with low sensitivity to sweet and salty tastes in both groups. Other researchers also observed that both healthy people and Crohn's disease patients exhibited low sensitivity to salty and sweet tastes (Bertoli et al, ; Kato & Roth, ; Martin & Bellisle, ), which could be partly explained by their dietary habits (Jayasinghe et al, ; Santos et al, ). Santos et al () found that only 18.0% of Brazilian adolescents preferring sweet taste were able to correctly identify it at refined sugar concentrations of 2.0 and 4.0%, as well as the salty taste of table salt at concentrations of 0.2 and 0.4%.…”