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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
07:10
Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
Published on: August 17, 2018
Genetic Variants Influencing Taste Perception and Food Preferences: Current Evidence
Ewa Miller-Kasprzak1, Paweł Bogdański1
1Department of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznan, Poland.
Nutrients
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Genetic variations significantly influence taste perception and food preferences, impacting dietary choices. Understanding these genetic determinants is key to unraveling complex food-related behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Sensory Genetics
- Nutrigenetics
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Taste perception, preferences, and food preferences are key to dietary choices.
- Both genetic and environmental factors shape these traits.
- Taste perception is biological sensitivity; preferences are hedonic evaluations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review genetic determinants of taste perception and preferences.
- To highlight the role of genetic variability in food-related behaviors.
- To emphasize the multifactorial nature of dietary choices.
Main Methods:
- Review of current evidence in sensory genetics.
- Identification of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with taste traits.
- Examination of genes involved in taste perception and reward processing.
Main Results:
- Specific genes (e.g., TAS1R2, TAS1R3, TAS2R38, CD36, ENaC subunits) are linked to taste perception.
- Genes like FTO, MC4R, GHRL, DRD2, and OPRM1 influence broader food preferences.
- Genetic variants and health status can modulate taste and food preferences.
Conclusions:
- Genetic variability plays a crucial role in individual differences in taste and food preferences.
- Understanding genetic factors is essential for personalized nutrition and dietary guidance.
- Food-related behaviors result from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental influences.
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