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The Plasticity of Taste Function Links the Appetitive Taste of Fats with Obesity

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Chemosensory Perception

Abstract

Introduction

Obesity is rapidly becoming one of the most important medical issues of our time. The effects of obesity are broad and complex. As obesity is fundamentally associated with the foods that we eat, recent interest has arisen into the possibility that our taste buds may be in some way affected by metabolic influences arising from a state of obesity. Obesity does in fact engender a number of changes on the taste system. Many studies suggest that taste is weakened in the obese, particularly the taste for dietary fats. This in some senses is confounded by the broad and inherent genetic variation in taste; however, evidence is growing to support this hypothesis. A limited causal linkage establishes whether obesity causes taste impairment, or vice versa.

Methods

Invited review

Results

I present a review of selected studies, in both animal models and in human psychophysics, that underpin our knowledge to this point, and present thoughts for directions of future study.

Conclusions

The consumption of fats, and the establishment of obesity, can influence taste response.

Implications

Our sense of taste is fundamentally plastic, and thus may contribute to obesity.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Robin Dando

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Correspondence to Robin Dando.

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Implications

The energy density of a stimulus high in fats is deduced by the nascent sixth basic taste, for fatty acids. However, an individual regularly consuming a diet high in such fats will soon become obese, a condition found to effect taste transduction profoundly.

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Dando, R. The Plasticity of Taste Function Links the Appetitive Taste of Fats with Obesity. Chem. Percept. 8, 53–60 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-015-9187-6

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