Results from a new preliminary study of more than 6,000 adults found that taste-associated genes may play a role in determining food choices and, in turn, may affect health. of cardiovascular.
The study examines how genetic factors relate to the perception of five types of taste: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (spicy), to the consumption of food groups and risk factors for heart disease.
The findings suggest that it may be important to consider genes that determine taste buds when developing personalized dietary guidelines aimed at improving dietary quality and reducing the risk of chronic diet-related diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
“Thinking about taste perception can help make personalized nutritional guidelines more effective by identifying the drivers of poor food choices and helping people learn how to make healthy choices. food choices, ”said candidate Julie E. Minimizing Their Impact.
According to Jervis, if people with severe feelings of bitterness tend to eat fewer cruciferous vegetables, it may be recommended to add some spices or choose other vegetables that better suit their taste perception profile.
“Most people probably don’t know why they choose certain foods. This approach can give them direction that will allow them to gain more control, ”Jervis said.
Jervis noted that while previous studies have looked at genetic factors associated with individual tastes in certain groups of people, this new study is unique in that it examined five major tastes in a large sample of US adults. is the first to assess whether the genetic variants responsible for taste perception are associated with the intake of certain specific food groups and risk factors in cardiac metabolism.
The researchers used data from previous genome-wide association studies to determine the genetic variants associated with each of the five major tastes.
They used this information to develop a new measure known as the “polygenic taste score” that provides an estimate of the cumulative effect of different genetic variants on the perception of a particular taste. For example, a higher polygenic taste score for bitterness means that a person has a higher genetic predisposition to feel bitter taste.
The researchers looked at polygenic taste scores, dietary quality, and risk factors for heart disease in 6,230 adults in the Framingham Heart Study. Risk factors include waist circumference, blood pressure, plasma glucose, triglyceride concentrations and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
The analysis identified several associations between taste -related genes with food groups and heart risk factors. The data revealed that genes associated with the bitter taste and taste of umami may play a special role in dietary quality by influencing food choices, while genes associated with Sweets appear to be more important for heart health.
The researchers found that study participants who received a polygenic bitterness score ate nearly two fewer servings of whole grains per week than participants who received a polygenic bitterness score.
The researchers also noticed that higher polygenic umami taste scores were associated with eating fewer vegetables, especially red and orange vegetables, and higher polygenic sweet taste scores. tend to be associated with lower triglyceride concentrations.
Researchers warn that findings from this particular group of adults are not necessarily general at all.
“However, our findings suggest the importance of looking at multiple tastes and food groups when investigating the determinants of eating behaviors,” Jervis said. “In the future, it will be important to try to copy these findings to different groups of people so we can understand the big picture and determine how to best use this information to create personalized nutritional advice.”
Source: everyday science
Source: Arabic RT
