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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #373903
Research Project: Diet and Cardiovascular Health

Location: Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging

Title: Taste perception profiles and adiposity in older adults with metabolic syndrome - PREDIMED-Plus

Author
item GERVIS, JULIE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item CHUI, KENNETH - Tufts University
item COLTELL, OSCAR - Instituto De Salud Carlos Iii
item CORELLA, DOLORES - University Of Valencia
item LICHTENSTEIN, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Current Developments in Nutrition
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/23/2020
Publication Date: 5/29/2020
Citation: Gervis, J.E., Chui, K., Coltell, O., Corella, D., Lichtenstein, A.H. 2020. Taste perception profiles and adiposity in older adults with metabolic syndrome - PREDIMED-Plus [abstract]. Current Developments in Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa063_033.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa063_033

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Objectives: In humans, perception for each taste (sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) has been independently related to food preferences and intake. Yet, the collective influence of perception of all 5 tastes on diet and cardiometabolic health remains unexplored. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the relations between a collective measure of taste perception - "taste perception profiles" - and adiposity. Methods: We analyzed baseline data of 367 older adults (55-75 years; 55% female) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) participating in the PREDIMED-Plus Valencia trial. Taste perception was assessed for sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami using sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, phenylthiocarbamide and monopotassium L-glutamate, respectively, and evaluated on a 0-5 scale. Taste perception profiles were derived from perception scores using predictive modeling and k-means clustering (KCA). Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the relations between taste perception profiles and BMI, body weight (BW) and waist circumference (WC), after adjustment for confounders. Results: KCA identified 7 taste perception profiles: Low All (n = 79), High Umami (n = 61), High Bitter (n = 49), High Bitter & Umami (n = 44), High Sweet, Salt & Sour (n = 51), High All But Bitter (n = 49) and High All But Umami (n = 34). After adjusting for age, sex, physical activity, smoking, diabetes, medication use and energy intake, BMI, BW and WC were highest for the Low All profile (adjusted means: 33.4 kg/m2, 87.5 kg and 108.4 cm; reference). Comparatively, mean BMI and BW were lower for High Bitter (-1.9 kg/m2; -5.4 kg), High Bitter & Umami (-1.7; -4.7), High Sweet, Salt & Sour (-1.3; -4.6) and High All But Bitter (-1.7; -5.0) profiles; and WC was lower for High Bitter & Umami (-3.4 cm) and High All But Bitter (-4.9) profiles (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Taste perception profiles derived via multivariable clustering were related to adiposity in older adults with MetS - individuals with the Low All profile had higher BMI, BW and WC; others had more complex relations. Thus, perception of and interactions among the 5 tastes may collectively influence diet and cardiometabolic health.