6-n-Propylthiouracil taster status not related to reported cruciferous vegetable intake among ethnically diverse children
Introduction
6-n-Propylthiouracil (PROP) is chemically related to the bitter substance (phenylthiocarbamide) in cruciferous vegetables, and whether a person can taste PROP is genetically determined [1]. Taste sensitivity to PROP [2], [3] has been proposed to account for individual differences in food preferences and eating habits [4], [5]. Three studies have been published on the relationship of PROP taste sensitivity to reported dietary intake using food frequency questionnaires among children [6], [7], [8], all showing no relationship. Food frequency questionnaires, however, have limitations [9]. Other limitations of these studies included small sample sizes (range, 30-81 participants); limited age ranges (range, 3-6 years); no report of ethnic background of the sample; and none controlled for energy intake (EI) (ie, children who eat more calories likely consume more of most foods), physical activity (PA) (ie, children who are very active likely eat more of many foods [10]), or social desirability of response [11], all of which have been related to diet and thereby could confound the findings. Because some late adolescents develop a preference for some bitter foods (eg, coffee, alcohol), PROP taste sensitivity [1] may diminish with age.
Our hypothesis was that PROP taste sensitivity is related to lower dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables, primarily among the younger children (ie, a moderating effect of child age). This article examined whether PROP taste sensitivity was related to dietary intake using multiple 24-hour dietary recalls among children ages 9 and 10 years (elementary school age) and 17 and 18 years (high school age) while statistically controlling for EI, PA levels, social desirability, and over- or underreporting response bias.
Section snippets
Design
A cross-sectional design was used with stratification on ethnicity (white, African American, Hispanic, etc), sex (male/female), age (9-10 and 17-18 years), body mass index (BMI) status (<85th percentile and ≥85th percentile), and PROP taster status (nontaster, medium taster, and supertaster). The study was approved by the Baylor College of Medicine Institutional Review Board. The parents of all children completed informed consent, and all children provided assent.
Study sample
A total sample of 843 children
Results
Although 843 students were recruited for this stage of the study, 665 students (342 9- to 10–year-olds and 323 17- to 18-year-olds) provided complete data for the analyses, the remaining 178 students were missing data for 1 or more variables and were excluded. There were no significant differences in any characteristics between students included and excluded from the analyses. Among the 665 (52.8% women and 47.2% men) elementary (342, or 51.4%) and high school students (323, or 48.6%), 347
Discussion
The current investigation showed no evidence that PROP taster status influenced cruciferous vegetable consumption. Thus, we rejected our hypothesis. The low intake of vegetables observed in the cohort is consistent with norms in the US population where roughly 95% of children from 9 to 18 years of age do not consume the recommended amount of vegetables [33].
Because PROP is related to the bitter chemical found in cruciferous vegetables, one would expect sensitivity to the taste of PROP to be
Acknowledgment
This research was primarily funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA116766). This work is also a publication of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA/ARS) Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and had been funded, in part, with federal funds from the USDA/ARS under Cooperative Agreement No. 58-6250-6001. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the USDA, nor does
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Application of a salt substitute in bitter taste suppression and toward better acceptance of cruciferous vegetables in diet
2022, AppetiteCitation Excerpt :This means that responsiveness to PROP could predict some food preferences, specifically bitterness, such as in cruciferous species (Dinehart et al., 2006). However, other studies found there was no relation between PROP sensitivity and cruciferous vegetable consumption (Baranowski et al., 2011; Shen et al., 2016). The bitterness suppression effectiveness depends on the components that give bitter sensations.
Gastrophysics: Nudging consumers toward eating more leafy (salad) greens
2020, Food Quality and PreferenceMeasuring sweet and bitter taste in children: Individual variation due to age and taste genetics
2018, Pediatric Food Preferences and Eating BehaviorsExploring the effects of genotypical and phenotypical variations in bitter taste sensitivity on perception, liking and intake of brassica vegetables in the UK
2016, Food Quality and PreferenceCitation Excerpt :Catanzaro, Chesbro, and Velkey (2013) did not find any significant difference in preference for brassica vegetables between PROP taster status groups within 139 college-age participants in US. Other studies (Baranowski et al., 2011; Keller & Tepper, 2004; Lumeng, Cardinal, Sitto, & Kannan, 2008) have also found no significant association between phenotypes of PROP sensitivity and actual vegetable intake in children. Furthermore, Timpson et al. (2005) did not find any association between TAS2R38 genotype and brassica vegetable intake in 4286 British women aged 69–79 years old.