The impact of bitter perception and genotypic variation of TAS2R38 on food choice

A variation exists in the ability of individuals to detect bitterness from a group of compounds called ‘thiourea’ which are found in foods such as cruciferous vegetables. This has led to people being categorised as either super, medium or non-tasters, and is due in part to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of a bitter taste receptor gene, taste receptor, type 2 (TAS2R)38. The density of fungiform papillae (FP) which houses the taste buds may also affect taster status, and may lead to supertasters being more sensitive to oral sensations such as burn from chillies and textural properties from fats, and even fibre in bread. The TAS2R38 genotype and FP density may contribute to food choice, particularly glucosinolates which are found in cruciferous vegetables containing a thiourea component. This paper will review the literature available on supertasting and how it may influence food choices.