Supertasters, non-tasters and food preferences
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Supertasters, non-tasters and their associations with liking, body weight, caloric intake and lipid profiles
IRAS ID
165633
Contact name
Louise Brunger
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leatherhead Food Research
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 25 days
Research summary
A current hypothesis is that individuals who show reduced oral fat perception may consume higher fat foods to compensate for a weak oral signal of fat’s presence. These individuals may be more likely to overeat and become obese. Understanding how specific genes impact fat perception can shed light on human variations in oral response to this nutrient. These insights may prove useful for the food industry in developing and improving consumer appeal of foods.
Recently, a variant of CD36, rs1761667 was linked with BMI in African-American obese adults. Preliminary analysis of 40 ST and 40 NT in our database showed the A/A allele at rs1761667 is involved in increased fat perception and this is the first instance of these results being replicated in a Caucasian database. However, these findings are preliminary and further research is needed to confirm the effect of this A/A allele on fat perception and liking in more solid foods of different complexities.
This study is part of a series of studies, in a step-wise approach which will allow us to better understand links between phenotypes (ST and NT), liking, BMI, weight, hip-waist ratios and lipid profiles with a view to future research involving genotypes and these associations.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/YH/1227
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion