• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.837-848
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• 2007

The literature suggested that a small reduction in overall blood pressure can have a large effect on overall prevalence of hypertension, and therefore, the affect of taste preferences of the population on salt intake should be considered for long-term blood pressure intervention programs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of salt taste preference and salt taste sensitivity on salt intake behavior as risk factors for high blood pressure. We collected information on blood pressure, diet and lifestyle behaviors, salt taste preference and salt taste sensitivity from 540 respondents from Suseo-dong, Seoul. Salt taste sensitivity was assessed by administering a 1% NaCl solution to the subject's tongue and measuring the perceived intensity on 10 level scale. Salt intake behavior was classified into 3 categories: frequency of high-sodium foods, practice of salt-reducing behavior and frequency of vegetable and fruit intake. Salt taste preference showed a significant relation to the subjects' blood pressure, i.e. subjects with a higher salt preference had higher blood pressure. Salt taste sensitivity did not show a significant relation to blood pressure. However, there was a positive correlation between salt taste preference and salt taste sensitivity. Among the 3 indicators used to measure salt intake behavior, the practice of salt-reducing behavior remained significantly correlated to blood pressure. Moreover, salt-reducing behavior and salt taste preference showed a significant correlation, i.e. people who do not like salty foods tend to practice more salt-reducing behavior, leading to reduced levels in blood pressure. In a population, a small reduction in overall blood pressure can have large effects in overall prevalence of hypertension, in contrast to clinical studies where achievement of an individual's normal blood pressure is emphasized. Therefore, taste preference of the population should be considered for long-term blood pressure intervention programs.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2006

Sensory factors are important determinants of appetite and food choices but little is known about factors affecting taste acuity and preference of Koreans. Any factors causing deficits in sweet taste perception may lead to over consumption of simple sugar, which is related to several chronic diseases. This study was conducted to determine factors affecting sweet taste sensitivity and preference. Subjects were 30 government employees who were serving as school dietitians or in the area of public health while they were studying in the program for the qualification to become nutrition teachers. Sweet taste threshold and the optimally-preferred sweetness of omija jelly were determined by a sensory evaluation and general characteristics, health-related lifestyles, dietary habits and food preferences were determined using a self-administered questionnaire. For the subjects of this study, detection threshold concentration of sucrose solution was $0.184{\pm}0.06%$ and optimally-preferred sucrose concentration of omija jelly was $13.88{\pm}2.28%$ and there was no significant correlation between the sweet taste sensitivity and preference. Subjects who had higher(${\ge}4$ out of 10) physical or psychological stress and who had late getting-up time (after 7am) tended to have lower sweet taste threshold (higher sensitivity) than their counterpart. The sweet taste preference determined by optimally-preferred sucrose concentration of omija jelly tended to be lower in the subjects who eat slowly. Those who answered in the questionnaire to prefer sweet foods did have significantly higher optimally-preferred sucrose concentration of omija jelly. Further research is required to determine whether decreased sensitivity and increased preference for sweetness can increase the actual intake of simple sugar. (J Community Nutrition 8(2): 107 -113, 2006)

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.327-341
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• 1998

Aims : The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are any changes in taste sensitivity with advancing age and to see if smoking or oral hygiene can affect the taste sensitivity. Method : Nine hundred and thirty four subjects(458 male and 476 females) were included for the study and they were categorized into 4 age groups( under 20, 20 to 39, 40 to 59, and over 60 age group ). The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer for the 4 different sites in the oral cavity, I.e., tongue tip, tougue alteral, circumvallate papilla, and soft palate. Results : The elctrical taste thresholds were significantly incresed with advancing age in both gender, but the pattern of change is moere abrupt in female after 40. There were not significant differences in electrical taste threshold between smoking and non-smoking people. Taste thresholds were significantly lower in the groups with higher frequency of daily toothbrushing than the groups with lower frequency Conclusion : The electrical taste threshold is increased with aging. It is not influenced by smoking but by toothbrushing.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.12 no.1 s.28
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• pp.111-125
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• 2006

This study aims to find out how taste recognition differs between two groups of culinary arts students. We conducted a questionnaire survey on minimum sensitivity and minimum tastiness for four basic tastes. The first group consisted of 40 students in their first year, and the second group consists of 56 students in their second year and third year. The survey shows that both groups preferred medium saltiness, and the second group was more favorable to sweetness than the first group. The sweet and the pungent tastes were more favored than sourness and less favored than bitterness by both groups of subjects. The amount of the sample required for minimum tastiness shows that the freshmen had a higher sensitivity than the sophomore and junior students. Contrary to a common belief that people who have more experience in cooking would have a more sensitive taste, this study shows that taste sensitivity does not always accord with cooking experience. Rather, it depends on individual differences and current health status. Further research should be needed for various sensory test method and more kitchen experienced people who has more working years after graduate college.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.646-652
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• 2018

Neurodegeneration can result in memory loss in the central nervous system (CNS) and impairment of taste and smell in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by functional loss of dopaminergic neurons. Recent studies have also found a role for dopaminergic neurons in regulating taste memory rewards in insects. To investigate how taste memories and sugar sensitivity can be affected in PD, we utilized the $DJ-1{\beta}$ mutant fruit fly, $DJ-1{\beta}^{ex54}$, as a PD model. We performed binary choice feeding assays, electrophysiology and taste-mediated memory tests to explore the function of the $DJ-1{\beta}$ gene in terms of sugar sensitivity as well as associative taste memory. We found that PD flies exhibited an impaired ability to discriminate sucrose across a range of sugar concentrations, with normal responses at only very high concentrations of sugar. They also showed an impairment in associative taste memory. We highlight that the taste impairment and memory defect in $DJ-1{\beta}^{ex54}$ can be recovered by the expression of wild-type $DJ-1{\beta}$ gene in the dopaminergic neurons. We also emphasized the role of dopaminergic neurons in restoring taste memory function. This impaired memory property of $DJ-1{\beta}^{ex54}$ flies also allows them to be used as a model system for finding supplementary dietary foods that can improve memory function. Here we provide evidence that the associative taste memory of both control and $DJ-1{\beta}^{ex54}$ flies can be enhanced with dietary supplementation of the medicinal plant, omija.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.731-736
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• 2017

Taste sensitivity to sugars plays an essential role in the initiation of feeding behavior. In Drosophila melanogaster, recent studies have identified several gustatory receptor (Gr) genes required for sensing sweet compounds. However, it is as yet undetermined how these GRs function as taste receptors tuned to a wide range of sugars. Among sugars, fructose has been suggested to be detected by a distinct receptor from other sugars. While GR43A has been reported to sense fructose in the brain, it is not expressed in labellar gustatory receptor neurons that show taste response to fructose. In contrast, the Gr64a-Gr64f gene cluster was recently shown to be associated with fructose sensitivity. Here we sought to decipher the genes required for fructose response among Gr64a-Gr64f genes. Unexpectedly, the qPCR analyses for these genes show that labellar expression levels of Gr64d and Gr64e are higher in fructose low-sensitivity flies than in high-sensitivity flies. Moreover, gustatory nerve responses to fructose in labellar sensilla are higher in Gr64d and Gr64f mutant lines than in mutant flies of the other Gr64a-Gr64f genes. These data suggest the possibility that deletion of GR64D or GR64F may indirectly induce enhanced fructose sensitivity in the labellum. Finally, we conclude that response to fructose cannot be explained by a single one of the Gr64a-Gr64f genes.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.780-787
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• 2017

The consumption of high-salt foods is an independent risk factor for increased hypertension. Thus, evaluating the relationship of taste sensitivity and pleasantness of high-salt foods such as Korean jang products, would help contribute to an understanding of salty food eating behaviors of the Korean rural elderly. This study aimed to verify the association between taste sensitivity and salinity of Korean jang products, and the preferences of food groups and nutrient intake in the rural elderly. We studied 269 elderly persons (males 83, females 186) aged above 65 years, residing in the rural area, Sunchang gun Jeonbuk. For each subject, a recognition threshold of 4 basic tastes and pleasant concentrations of NaCl were estimated using the sip- and-spit method. Taste preferences, frequency of intake of food groups, nutrient intakes, and salinity and sweetness of Korean jang products (Doenjang, Ganjang, Gochujang) were assessed. No association was found between salt taste recognition threshold and optimally preferred concentration of salt and salinity of Korean jang products. However, the sweet taste recognition threshold was positively related to the sweetness of Korean jang products. Also, the salinity of Doenjang positively correlated with the frequencies of food groups and nutrient intakes. That is to say that the sweet taste sensitivity was related to the sweetness of Korean jang products, but was not sensitive to the salty taste. The salinity of Doenjang correlated with the consumption of food and nutrient intakes. Taken together, these findings suggest the need for appropriate intervention and education to reduce the salinity of Doenjang, which is an important modifiable factor contributing to reducing sodium intake in the rural elderly.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

This study was performed to investigate factors affecting sensitivity and preference for salty tastes of Korean adult females. Sensitivity and preference for salty tastes were determined as detection threshold concentration of NaCl solution and the optimally-preferred NaCl concentration of the bean sprout soup, respectively. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain the information regarding general characteristics, self diagnosis of stress, health-related lifestyle practices, dietary habits and food preferences. Dietary intake using 24-hours recall and blood pressure were measured. Salty taste detection thresholds and optimally-preferred NaCl concentrations were 0.0197% and 0.357%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the optimally-preferred salt concentration and age, despite no significant correlation between either sensitivity or preference for salty taste and sodium intake, which was 3,605mg/day. Those who had bread or cereal with milk as breakfast instead of a traditional Korean meal and those who preferred jjigae to soup had significantly higher NaCl preferences for bean sprout soup. Going to bed after midnight and skipping meals (${\geq}3/week$) decreased salty taste sensitivity without reaching statistical significance. Self awareness of one's own health, recent weight changes, family history of hypertension, sleep quality, getting-up time, rate of eating and other food preferences did not affect either perception. Stress level, TV watching, BMI and sodium intake did not have significant correlation to sensitivity or preference. Further research including a large number of well-controlled subjects and more accurate measurement of sodium intake should be directed to find other factors affecting salt preference and sensitivity in order to decrease Na intake and related diseases.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.49-52
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• 2009

Perception of sweet compounds is important for animals to detect external carbohydrate source of calories and plays a crucial role in feeding behavior of animals. Recent progress in molecular genetic studies provides evidence for a candidate receptor (heterodimers with taste receptor type 1 member 2 and 3: T1R2/T1R3), and major downstream transduction molecules required for sweet taste signaling. Several studies demonstrated that the sweet taste signal can be modulated by a satiety hormone, leptin, through its receptors expressed in a subset of sweet-sensitive taste cells. Increase of internal energy storage in the adipose tissue leads to increase in the plasma leptin level which can reduce activities of sweet-sensitive cells. In human, thus, diurnal variation of plasma leptin level parallels variation of taste recognition thresholds for sweet compounds. This leptin modulation of sweet taste sensitivity may influence individuals' preference, ingestive behavior, and absorption of nutrients, thereby plays important roles in regulation of energy homeostasis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.585-593
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• 2013

This study was designed to measure taste sensitivity and the five basic senses by an educational classification instrument. The instrument was a rice kit that could use samples in a dry powder form or oil extract after long-term storage To test for taste, sucrose, salt, citric acid, and quinine sulfate were made at different concentrations and taste sensitivity was measured on a scale from level 1 to level 5. To obtain baseline data, an inspection tool for the five senses was used and randomly applied on 101 schoolchildren in the third and fourth grade in the city of Cheonan in Korea. The inspection tool was composed of 17 questions; 5 questions regarding visual characteristics and three questions each for characteristics regarding taste, hearing, smell, and touch. The average age of the schoolchildren was 9.5 years old and there were 49 third grade students (9 years of age), and 52 fourth grade students (ten years of age). There were slightly more male students than female students, 56 (55.4%) compared to 45 (44.6%), respectively. The average height of female students was higher than that of males, but the average BMI (body mass index) of the male students was slightly higher than that of female students (18.28 compared to 18.09, respectively). Female students were slightly more sensitive to salty tastes than male students (2.8 compared to 2.5, respectively). In the score distribution for each sense, touch sense was the highest at 7.59, sight sense was 7.49, hearing sense was 5.43, smell sense was 5.24, and taste sense was lowest at 3.69. Therefore, schoolchildren first tend to recognize and deem important the touch and sight of food before its taste.