Fat Taste in Humans

Author(s):  
Richard Mattes
Keyword(s):  
Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Russell Keast ◽  
Andrew Costanzo ◽  
Isabella Hartley

There are numerous and diverse factors enabling the overconsumption of foods, with the sense of taste being one of these factors. There are four well established basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter; all with perceptual independence, salience, and hedonic responses to encourage or discourage consumption. More recently, additional tastes have been added to the basic taste list including umami and fat, but they lack the perceptual independence and salience of the basics. There is also emerging evidence of taste responses to kokumi and carbohydrate. One interesting aspect is the link with the new and emerging tastes to macronutrients, with each macronutrient having two distinct perceptual qualities that, perhaps in combination, provide a holistic perception for each macronutrient: fat has fat taste and mouthfeel; protein has umami and kokumi; carbohydrate has sweet and carbohydrate tastes. These new tastes can be sensed in the oral cavity, but they have more influence post- than pre-ingestion. Umami, fat, kokumi, and carbohydrate tastes have been suggested as an independent category named alimentary. This narrative review will present and discuss evidence for macronutrient sensing throughout the alimentary canal and evidence of how each of the alimentary tastes may influence the consumption of foods.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianna L. Newland ◽  
Laurence Chalip ◽  
John L. Ivy

To determine whether athletes are confused about supplementation, this study examines the relative levels of adult runners’ and triathletes’ preferences for postexercise recovery drink attributes (price, fat, taste, scientific evidence, and endorsement by a celebrity athlete), and the ways those preferences segment. It then examines the effect of athlete characteristics on segment and drink choice. Only a plurality of athletes (40.6%) chose a carbohydrate-protein postexercise recovery drink (the optimal choice), despite the fact that they valued scientific evidence highly. Athletes disliked or were indifferent to endorsement by a celebrity athlete, moderately disliked fat, and slightly preferred better tasting products. Cluster analysis of part-worths from conjoint analysis identified six market segments, showing that athletes anchored on one or two product attributes when choosing among alternatives. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that media influence, hours trained, market segment, gender, and the athlete’s sport significantly predicted drink choice, and that segment partially mediated the effect of sport on drink choice. Findings demonstrate confusion among athletes when there are competing products that each claim to support their training.


2016 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 41-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongli Liu ◽  
Nicholas Archer ◽  
Konsta Duesing ◽  
Garry Hannan ◽  
Russell Keast
Keyword(s):  

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvan Peterschmitt ◽  
Souleymane Abdoul-Azize ◽  
Babar Murtaza ◽  
Marie Barbier ◽  
Amira Khan ◽  
...  

The origin of spontaneous preference for dietary lipids in humans and rodents is debated, though recent compelling evidence has shown the existence of fat taste that might be considered a sixth taste quality. We investigated the implication of gustatory and reward brain circuits, triggered by linoleic acid (LA), a long-chain fatty acid. The LA was applied onto the circumvallate papillae for 30 min in conscious C57BL/6J mice, and neuronal activation was assessed using c-Fos immunohistochemistry. By using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we also studied the expression of mRNA encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Zif-268, and Glut-1 in some brain areas of these animals. LA induced a significant increase in c-Fos expression in the nucleus of solitary tract (NST), parabrachial nucleus (PBN), and ventroposterior medialis parvocellularis (VPMPC) of the thalamus, which are the regions known to be activated by gustatory signals. LA also triggered c-Fos expression in the central amygdala and ventral tegmental area (VTA), involved in food reward, in conjunction with emotional traits. Interestingly, we noticed a high expression of BDNF, Zif-268, and Glut-1 mRNA in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) and hippocampus (Hipp), where neuronal activation leads to memory formation. Our study demonstrates that oral lipid taste perception might trigger the activation of canonical gustatory and reward pathways.


2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongli Liu ◽  
Andrew Costanzo ◽  
Margaret D. M. Evans ◽  
Nicholas S. Archer ◽  
Caryl Nowson ◽  
...  

AbstractSignificant experimental evidence supports fat as a taste modality; however, the associated peripheral mechanisms are not well established. Several candidate taste receptors have been identified, but their expression pattern and potential functions in human fungiform papillae remain unknown. The aim of this study is to identify the fat taste candidate receptors and ion channels that were expressed in human fungiform taste buds and their association with oral sensory of fatty acids. For the expression analysis, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) from RNA extracted from human fungiform papillae samples was used to determine the expression of candidate fatty acid receptors and ion channels. Western blotting analysis was used to confirm the presence of the proteins in fungiform papillae. Immunohistochemistry analysis was used to localise the expressed receptors or ion channels in the taste buds of fungiform papillae. The correlation study was analysed between the expression level of the expressed fat taste receptors or ion channels indicated by qRT-PCR and fat taste threshold, liking of fatty food and fat intake. As a result, qRT-PCR and western blotting indicated that mRNA and protein of CD36, FFAR4, FFAR2, GPR84 and delayed rectifying K+ channels are expressed in human fungiform taste buds. The expression level of CD36 was associated with the liking difference score (R −0·567, β=−0·04, P=0·04) between high-fat and low-fat food and FFAR2 was associated with total fat intake (ρ=−0·535, β=−0·01, P=0·003) and saturated fat intake (ρ=−0·641, β=−0·02, P=0·008).


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1271-1271
Author(s):  
Leta Pilic ◽  
Catherine Anna-Marie Graham ◽  
Nisrin Hares ◽  
Megan Brown ◽  
Jonathan Kean ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Taste perception (sensitivity) may be determined by genetic variations in taste receptors and it affects food intake. Lower fat taste sensitivity is associated with higher dietary fat intake and body mass index (BMI). Recently, associations between bitter and fat taste sensitivity have been reported whereby bitter taste perception may be involved in textural perception of dietary fat. However, it is not clear if lower sensitivity to bitter taste would lead to an actual higher fat intake. Our objectives were to explore the associations between haplotypes in the bitter taste receptor TAS2R38, bitter taste sensitivity and fat intake and if bitter taste sensitivity is lower in individuals with higher BMI. Methods Ethical approval was obtained from the St Mary's and Oxford Brookes University Ethics Committee. Eighty-eight healthy Caucasian participants (44% male and 56% female; mean BMI 24.9 ± 4.8 kg/m2 and mean age 35 ± 14 years) completed this cross-sectional study. Height and weight were measured and genotyping performed for rs713598, rs1726866, rs10246939 genetic variants in the TAS2R38. Haplotypes were determined with Haploview software. Participants rated the intensity of a phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) impregnated strip on the general Labelled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) to determine bitter taste sensitivity and were classified as bitter tasters and non-tasters. Dietary fat intake was calculated from the EPIC-Norfolk Food Frequency Questionnaire and expressed as % total energy intake. Results TAS2R38 haplotypes were associated with bitter taster status (P < 0.005). PTC ratings of intensity were negatively correlated with % saturated fat (SFA) intake (rs = −0.256, P = 0.016). %SFA and %total fat (rs = 0.656, P < 0.005) and %total fat and energy intake (kcal) (rs = 0.225, P = 0.035) were positively correlated. Normal weight participants rated PTC strips as more intense compared to overweight and obese participants (mean rank 53 vs. 41, P = 0.033). Conclusions Bitter taste perception is determined by genetics and lower sensitivity to this taste is associated with higher intake of SFA. Lower bitter taste sensitivity in overweight/obese participants suggests that impaired bitter taste may be associated with an overall unhealthier and more energy dense dietary pattern. Funding Sources St Mary's and Oxford Brookes University.


2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Galindo ◽  
N. Voigt ◽  
J. Stein ◽  
J. van Lengerich ◽  
J.-D. Raguse ◽  
...  

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