Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
Published on: August 17, 2018
Taste Changes after Bariatric Surgery: a Systematic Review
Kasim Ahmed1, Nicholas Penney2, Ara Darzi1
1Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Background:
Alterations in taste perception and preferences may contribute to dietary changes and subsequent weight loss following bariatric surgery.
Methods:
A systematic search was performed to identify all articles investigating gustation, olfaction, and sensory perception in both animal and human studies following bariatric procedures.
Results:
Two hundred fifty-five articles were identified after database searches, bibliography inclusions and deduplication. Sixty-one articles were included. These articles provide evidence supporting changes in taste perception and hedonic taste following bariatric procedures. Taste sensitivity to sweet and fatty stimuli appears to increase post-operatively. Additionally, patients also have a reduced hedonic response to these stimuli.
Conclusions:
Available evidence suggests that there is a change in taste perception following bariatric procedures, which may contribute to long-term maintenance of weight loss following surgery.
Related Concept Videos
Review and Preview
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
Review and Preview
The Physiology of Taste
The Tongue and Taste Buds
Taste Buds and Receptors
Conditioned Taste Aversion
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single...

