The taste preferences and adaptations of human beings

Sensory and behavioral scientists evaluate food preferences from several perspectives. Among these are the physiological modulations that can occur when different stimuli are presented to the five senses. Among these stimuli, the “chemical” senses are recognized, that is, taste, smell, and touch (which is considered a mixed sense, as it can receive both chemical and physical stimuli), and the truly physical ones, such as sight and hearing. When it comes to affective memories linked to food, they are linked to the memories we carry throughout our lives and to all the stimuli we have received, whether chemical or physical, which gives us the pleasure of choosing what we want or do not want to experience when eating. Therefore, it is already recognized that the senses can adapt to environmental, cultural, age-related, and genetic variations (Lundström et al., 2011).

Some scientific reports demonstrate that if sensitive stimuli are not trained, or even if they are repeated over a long period, there may be loss or mutations in taste receptors, as well as adaptations over the course of life. This fact was evidenced in animal studies, where it was found that panda bears (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) lost sensitivity to umami tastes after eating a bamboo-only diet. Genetic mutations occurred, resulting in a significant reduction in receptors for the fifth taste (Zao et al., 2010; Beauchamp & Jiang, 2015).

An example of training and adaptation was also reported in a study conducted at the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition at the University of Delaware (Newark, USA). Researchers have discussed whether the type of milk fed in early infancy could also impact future food preferences. They found that children may begin to accept different flavors soon after breastfeeding, but these choices may change depending on whether breastfeeding is done through breast milk or infant formula. Furthermore, depending on the protein and amino acid content of infant formulas, behavioral changes in feeding and even weight gain may occur. Formulas with hydrolyzed proteins, which contain higher amounts of free amino acids, like breast milk, have been found to activate umami taste receptors in the oral cavity and stomach, directly influencing taste perception for the fifth taste and improving satiety (Trabulsi & Menella, 2012).

These studies have shown that food preferences and taste adaptations can be modified depending on the types of foods offered, even in early infancy. Therefore, it is recommended that children—as well as young people and adults—be offered different types of foods, including the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami), as well as different aromas. In this way, choosing and preferring certain types of foods can contribute to diets with a greater variety of nutrients, which can aid in both immunological and intellectual development, in addition to preserving the delicious sense of taste, which can provide us with incomparable pleasures that can be stored in our memory (Mojet & Köster, 2016).