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

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Genomics
• Public Health
• Genetic Epidemiology

Background:

• Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants (SNPs) linked to sweet taste perception.
• The relationship between genetic sweet taste predisposition and overall diet quality is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between a sweet-taste polygenic score (PGS) and diet quality indices in Puerto Rican older adults.
• To compare cross-sectional associations between genetic sweet taste sensitivity and adherence to DASH, AHEI-2010, and Mediterranean diets.

Main Methods:

• Utilized baseline data from 583 Boston Puerto Rican Health Study participants with genetic and dietary information.
• Constructed a weighted sweet-taste PGS using 38 SNPs associated with sweet taste perception.
• Assessed diet quality using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), DASH, and Mediterranean diet (MeD) indices.

Main Results:

• A higher sweet-taste PGS showed an inverse association with the DASH diet quality.
• No significant association was found between sweet-taste PGS and AHEI-2010 or MeD.
• Increased sweet-taste PGS correlated with lower intake of whole grains, vegetables, and potentially nuts/legumes.

Conclusions:

• In Puerto Rican adults, a higher genetic predisposition for sweet taste is associated with lower DASH diet quality.
• Findings suggest a need for further research into taste perception, dietary intake, and genetic influences across diverse populations to guide interventions.