Navarro-Allende Alejandra, Khataan Nora, El-Sohemy Ahmed
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 150 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
J Nutr Elder. 2008;27(3-4):267-76. doi: 10.1080/01639360802261920.
Individual differences in the ability to detect bitter tasting compounds, such as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) or its derivative, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has long been recognized as a common genetic trait. This observation has been proposed to explain some of the variability in the dietary habits of a population. Several members of the TAS2R receptor gene family encode taste receptors on the tongue, and genetic polymorphisms of TAS2R38 have been associated with marked differences in the perception of PTC and PROP. An association between TAS2R38 genotype and food preferences has been found among children, but no associations have been reported among older adults. This, along with the decreased ability to taste certain foods with increasing age, suggests that environmental factors are more important than genetic influences in food preferences among the elderly. The elderly may be more inclined to try and accept novel foods because of diet-related attitudes and beliefs that are formulated throughout the years.
长期以来，人们一直认为，个体在检测苦味化合物（如苯硫脲（PTC）或其衍生物6 - 正丙基硫氧嘧啶（PROP））能力上的差异是一种常见的遗传特征。这一观察结果被用来解释人群饮食习惯中的一些变异性。味觉2型受体（TAS2R）基因家族的几个成员编码舌头上的味觉受体，而TAS2R38的基因多态性与对PTC和PROP的感知存在显著差异有关。在儿童中发现了TAS2R38基因型与食物偏好之间的关联，但在老年人中尚未有相关报道。这一点，再加上随着年龄增长品尝某些食物的能力下降，表明在老年人的食物偏好中，环境因素比遗传影响更为重要。由于多年来形成的与饮食相关的态度和观念，老年人可能更倾向于尝试和接受新食物。
