Results from a new preliminary study involving over 6,000 adults have found that genes associated with taste may play a role in determining food choices, which in turn can affect cardiovascular health. The study investigates the mechanism linking genetic factors to the perception of all five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory), along with food group consumption and risk factors associated with heart diseases.
The findings suggest that the genes influencing taste perception could be important to consider when developing personalized dietary guidelines aimed at improving diet quality and reducing the risk of chronic diseases related to diet, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Julie E. Gervais, a researcher from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, stated, "Considering taste perception can help make personalized nutrition guidelines more effective by identifying the drivers of poor food choices and helping people learn how to minimize their impact." According to Gervais, if individuals with a strong perception of bitter taste tend to consume fewer cruciferous vegetables, they could be advised to add certain spices or choose different types of vegetables that better align with their taste profile. Gervais added, "Most people likely do not know why they make certain food choices; this approach can provide guidance that would allow them to gain more control."
Gervais noted that although previous studies have examined genetic factors related to individual tastes in specific groups of people, this new study is unique in that it examined all five basic tastes across a broad sample of adults in the United States. It is also the first to evaluate whether the genetic variants responsible for taste perception are linked to the consumption of specific food groups and heart-related metabolic risk factors. The researchers used data from previous genome-wide association studies to identify genetic variants associated with the five basic tastes.
They used this information to develop a new scale known as the "multigenic taste score," which provides a single estimate of the cumulative effect of many genetic variants on the perception of a particular taste. For example, a higher bitter multigenic taste score means that an individual has a higher genetic predisposition to perceive bitter tastes. The researchers analyzed multigenic taste scores, diet quality, and cardiovascular risk factors among 6,230 adults in the Framingham Heart Study. The risk factors included waist circumference, blood pressure, plasma glucose, triglyceride levels, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
The analysis identified some associations between taste-related genes with food groups and cardiovascular risk factors, revealing that genes related to bitter and umami tastes may play a special role in diet quality by influencing food choices, while genes associated with sweetness appear to be more significant for heart health. The researchers found that study participants with a higher multigenic bitter taste score consumed nearly two servings fewer of whole grains per week compared to those with a lower bitter taste score. They also noted that a higher multigenic umami taste score was associated with lower vegetable intake, particularly red and orange vegetables, and that a higher sweet multigenic taste score tended to be linked to lower triglyceride levels.
The researchers warned that the results from this specific group of adults are not necessarily generalizable to everyone. Gervais stated, "Nevertheless, our findings emphasize the importance of considering multiple tastes and food groups when investigating eating behavior determinants." She added, "Moving forward, it will be important to try to replicate these findings in different groups of people so we can understand the bigger picture and determine how to best use this information to create personalized dietary advice."
