Sweet Taste Genetic Risk Score and Alignment to Diet Quality among Puerto Rican Adults in Massachusetts

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with perception to sweet taste. The influence of genetic predisposition to sweet taste on diet quality remains poorly understood.

This study aimed to compare cross-sectional associations between a genetically driven sweet taste polygenic score (PGS) and alignment with diet quality indices in a cohort of Puerto Rican older adults residing in the Boston area.

We used baseline data from Boston Puerto Rican Health Study participants with complete genetic and dietary data (n = 583). A weighted sweet taste PGS was constructed using 38 SNPs from published GWAS with perceived intensity sweet taste outcomes (aspartame, fructose, glucose, neohespedirin dihydrochalcone, sucrose, and sweet substances). We derived 3 diet quality indices using data from a food frequency questionnaire validated for this population: Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean diet (MeD). Multiple linear regression models between sweet taste PGS and diet quality indices were used to estimate associations and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

There were 428 females and 155 males, with mean age 52.2 ± 7.5 y. The PGS ranged from 30.0 to 50.1, mean (SD): 39.9 (3.4). There was an inverse association between PGS and DASH: β (95% CI) -0.03 [-0.05, -0.004, false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.06], but no association was observed with AHEI-2010: -0.02 (-0.04, 0.008), FDR = 0.19; or MeD: -0.02 (-0.04, 0.01), FDR = 0.19. Across all diet quality indices, higher sweet taste PGS was associated with lower alignment to recommendations for whole grain and vegetables. It also tended to be associated with lower intake of nuts/legumes in the AHEI-2010.

In Puerto Rican adults, higher sweet taste PGS was associated with lower DASH diet quality, but not the AHEI-2010, or MeD, and with lower intake of whole grains, vegetables, and possibly, nuts/legumes. More research is needed on taste perception and dietary intake across populations to inform future intervention.