The relation between taste sensitivity, food preferences and nutrition status

This study was carried out to study the factors affecting the sensitivity tastes, taste/food preferences and nutrient status and their relations with each other. A total 216 students of university, 122 boys and 94 girls, were included in the study. 110 students voluntered in the assessment of taste sensitivity. Concerning the body mass index (BMI), it was determined that 13.1 % and 8.5 % were overweight for boys and girls respectively and 4.9 % and 17.0 % were lean for boys and girls respectively as well. No significant difference was found in recognizing the tastes by students depending on the status of BMI and smoking (p>0.05). The rate of those recognizing all the tastes in the first solution for both boys and girls were 10.9% and 13.0 % at sweet taste, 1.7 % and 4.0 % at salty taste, 5.0 % and 4.0 % at umami taste and 8.3 % and 18.0 % at bitter taste respectively. It was found that the rate of those not recognizing the taste of umami, both girls and boys, was the highiest. It was also found that girl students got a higher score in recognizing five tastes than boys. However, only the difference between the scores of recognizing sour taste and the scores of recognizing total tastes was found significant (p<0.01). It was determined that the higher the scores of recognizing total tastes were, the higher the scores of recognizing the tastes of sour, salty, umami, bitter and sweet were (p=0.000). It was also found that as the score of recognizing the taste of bitter increased, the score to recognize the taste of sweet increased as well (p=0.049). It was determined that the score of attitude and behavior against food in sour taste increased at a reasonable rate for the overweight compared to the lean (p<0.05). As the score of liking salty foods increased the percentage of meeting the need for energy increased (p=0.028). As the score of liking umami nutrients increased, the percentage of meeting vitamin B2 (p=0.020), vitamin B6, (p=0.045), calcium (p=0.042, phosphorus (p=0.013) and iron (p=0.021) increased. It is necessary that more studies be carried out concerning taste perception and taste sensitivity and taste/foods preferences for the individuals living in Turkey. The studies to be carried out in this field could lead to sensory evaluations in the food sector and prevent diseases likely to be met depending on nutrition by making children attaing true nutrition habits.Keywords: Taste sensitivity, taste perception, taste preferences, food preference, nutrition status