Impaired senses causes people to crave high-sugar treats
- Reduced detection of sweet flavors significantly increases desire for such foods
- For every 20% reduction, a person adds an extra teaspoon of sugar to their meals
- Previous research suggests the obese have a lower perception of taste intensity
- This may cause overweight people to seek out sweeter flavors as a ‘reward’
Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline
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A reduced ability to taste sweetness may cause weight gain, new research suggests.
People with a diminished capacity to detect sweet flavors have a significantly increased desire for such foods, a study found.
For every 20 per cent reduction in a somebody’s ability to taste sugar, they add an extra one teaspoon of the sweet stuff to their meals, the research adds.
Lead author Professor Robin Dando from Cornell University, said: ‘[Past research has] suggested that the overweight may have a reduction in their perceived intensity of taste.
‘So, if an overweight or obese person has a diminished sense of taste, our research shows that they may begin to seek out more intense stimuli to attain a satisfactory level of reward.’
A reduced ability to taste sweetness may cause weight gain, new research suggests (stock)
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How the study was carried out
The researchers analyzed 51 healthy people given a tea containing varying concentrations of Gymnema sylvestre over four sessions.
Gymnema sylvestre is a herb that temporarily diminishes a person’s perception of sweetness.
The study’s participants were then allowed to add their preferred amount of sugar to bland food.
Key findings
Results revealed that people with diminished taste buds have a significantly increased desire for sweet food.
For every 20 percent reduction in sweet taste perception, a person adds an extra teaspoon of sugar.
The findings were published in the journal Appetite.
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