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Is obesity associated with taste alterations? a systematic review
Beatriz Rodrigues Risuenho Peinado1, Deborah Ribeiro Frazão1, Leonardo Oliveira Bittencourt1
1Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|June 19, 2023
Summary
Obesity is linked to taste alterations, with 40% of studies finding a connection between obesity and altered taste perception in adults. Further research is needed to confirm this association.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Obesity is a significant public health issue driven by complex factors, including food consumption decisions.
- Individual taste perceptions play a crucial role in influencing eating behaviors and body mass.
- Understanding the link between taste and obesity is vital for developing effective public health strategies.
Approach:
- A systematic review was conducted using multiple electronic databases and grey literature.
- Studies compared adult humans with obesity (E) to those without (C) regarding taste alterations (O).
- Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the GRADE system and New Castle Ottawa scale.
Key Points:
- Out of 3782 records, 19 studies were eligible for review.
- Forty percent of eligible studies indicated an association between obesity and taste alterations across various flavors.
- Fifteen of the 19 studies demonstrated good methodological reliability.
Conclusions:
- The reviewed studies suggest a potential association between obesity and taste alterations.
- Methodological limitations exist, necessitating further investigation with more sensitive methods.
- Confirming the obesity-taste alteration hypothesis requires more robust research.
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