260 | id == 260
260 | category_id == 14
260 | category_order == 12
260 | category_name == Nutrition
260 | category_color == #C47AC0
260 | slug == TAS2R38-diet
260 | title == A Link Between Bitter Taste and Overeating (TAS2R38)
260 | meta_description == Is sensing bitterness linked to overeating? Studies of the TAS2R38 gene suggest so. Read on to learn more.
260 | summary == <p><strong>How sensitive we are to bitterness has an impact on our food choices and how much food we eat. The <em>TAS2R38</em> gene encodes a bitter taste receptor. Read on to learn more about the link between this gene and eating habits.</strong></p>
260 | overall_score_text == Overeating Score (Based on TAS2R38)
260 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/TAS2R38--Preferences-Bitter-Taste.jpg
260 | author_id == 10
260 | author_name == Biljana Novkovic
260 | author_title == PhD
260 | author_order == 50
260 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Biljana.jpg
260 | author_intro == <p><strong>Biljana received her PhD in Ecological Genetics from Hokkaido University.</strong></p>    <p>Before joining SelfHacked, she was a research scientist with extensive field and laboratory experience. She spent 4 years reviewing the scientific literature on supplements, lab tests and other areas of health sciences. She is passionate about releasing the most accurate science &amp; health information available on topics, and she&#39;s meticulous when writing and reviewing articles to make sure the science is sound. She believes that SelfHacked has the best science that is also layperson-friendly on the web.</p>
260 | reviewer == None
260 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
260 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
260 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
260 | publish_date == 2020
260 | publish_date == 8
260 | publish_date == 6
260 | avg_rating == 4.0
260 | tags_id == 180
260 | tags_name == Bitter Taste Sensitivity
260 | tags_id == 183
260 | tags_name == Diet
260 | tags_id == 581
260 | tags_name == Overeating
260 | tags_id == 488
260 | tags_name == TAS2R38
260 | tags_id == 487
260 | tags_name == Taste
260 | permissions_favorite == False
260 | permissions_rate == False
260 | content_article == <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">?</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, short for taste receptor type 2 member 38, encodes one of the 25 taste receptors that detect bitterness. It is responsible for tasting the bitterness of foods like cabbage and raw broccoli, or drinks like coffee and dark beers [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770895/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12595690/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did you know that bitter taste is one of the major reasons we accept or reject different foods?&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That's why it's not surprising that mutations in this gene have been linked to higher or lower intakes of cruciferous vegetables, coffee, beer and wine. Some studies also suggest that </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may account for preference of sweet foods over bitter ones [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3778862/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235829/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28738701/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24912558/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28232057/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770895/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21763010/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interestingly, researchers found that these receptors are also found in the brain, lungs, gut and thyroid, where they probably play roles unrelated to diet [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770895/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16710053/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes a bitter taste receptor. Variations in this gene have been linked to preference or avoidance of bitter foods and drinks, such as cruciferous vegetables, coffee, and beer.</span></span></p> <h2><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Variants and Bitter Taste</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ever wondered why foods that tasted bitter to others tasted just fine to you? Or vice versa?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are three main variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene that are "linked", which means they are often inherited together:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs713598: where 'G' is the "taster" and 'C' is the "non-taster"</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs1726866: where 'G' is the "taster" and 'A' is the "non-taster"</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs10246939: where 'C' is the "taster" and 'T' is the "non-taster"</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These variants account for up to 85% of individual differences in the perception of bitterness [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12595690/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People who have two copies of the "taster" variant in each of these SNPs are considered "super-tasters" ('GG' for rs713598 + 'GG' for rs1726866 + 'CC' for rs10246939) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12595690/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6930899/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770895/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand, people with two copies of the "non-taster" variant for each SNP are considered "non-tasters" and are about 80% likely to not taste bitterness of specific foods ('CC' for rs713598 + 'AA' for rs1726866 + 'TT' for rs10246939) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12595690/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6930899/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770895/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. This doesn't mean they don't taste bitterness at all; it means they have a lower sensitivity to it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may fall somewhere in between, in which case you'd have intermediate sensitivity to bitterness [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6930899/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are 3 linked variants in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene that together account for up to 85% of individual differences in sensing bitterness. Non-tasters may find that certain foods that taste bitter to others don't taste bitter to them.</span></span></p> <h2><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Variants and Overeating</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did you know that our food preferences influence not only what we eat, but also the amount of food we eat?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several small studies have found a link between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants and food intake.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study with over 700 Amish, women with the 'A' allele for a SNP in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene, rs1726866, were more likely to overeat. Interestingly, this was not true for men [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938875/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a Japanese study of 84 female college students, higher carb and overall calorie intake was associated with another two SNPs in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene: rs713598 ('CC') and rs10246939 ('TT') [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23535535/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, in an Italian study with 24 men and 94 women, those who had lower sensitivity for bitterness ('CC' genotype for the rs713598 SNP in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene), had a higher preference for nutrient/calorie-dense foods, such as butter and cured meat [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28738701/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three SNPs in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been associated with overeating and a high overall calorie intake.</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Limitations</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because sensitivity to bitter taste is only a small part of the equation when it comes to eating habits, take the studies above with a grain of salt. There are several other studies that failed to find a significant link between the above-mentioned SNPs and eating habits [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28669668/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28652185/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15883422/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> genotypes don't always align perfectly with sensitivity to bitter taste (phenotype) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28669668/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bitterness accounts for only a part of total taste variability, and there are a lot of other factors that influence a person's eating habits. Several studies have failed to find a link between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and eating patterns.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TAS2R38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Results for Obesity and Food Intake</span></h2> <p>*7598693827811498*</p> <p><strong><em>TAS2R38 </em></strong><strong>rs713598:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'G' = the major "tasting" allele. People who carry this allele are "tasters"&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'C' = the minor "non-tasting" allele. People with two copies of this allele are "non-tasters"</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><em>TAS2R38 </em></strong><strong>rs1726866:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'G' = the major "tasting" allele. People who carry it have a higher ability to taste bitter foods&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'A' = the minor &ldquo;non-tasting&rdquo; allele. People with two copies are "non-tasters".&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p><strong><em>TAS2R38 </em></strong><strong>rs10246939</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'C' = the major "tasting" allele. People who carry it have the ability to taste bitter foods&nbsp;</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'T' = the minor &ldquo;non-tasting&rdquo; allele.&nbsp;</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Around 27% of people have the non-taster rs713598 'CC' genotype, 20% the rs1726866 'AA' genotype, and 25% the rs10246939 'TT' genotype.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As already mentioned, these 3 SNPs are often inherited together. </span><strong>People who are non-tasters for each of the three SNPs have</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938875/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23535535/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28738701/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul> <li><strong>An 80% chance of not being able to taste bitterness in certain foods&nbsp;</strong></li> <li><strong>A preference for more nutrient/calorie dense foods</strong></li> <li><strong>A tendency to overeat&nbsp;</strong></li> </ul> <p>*5348400779810233*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations to Improve Eating Habits&nbsp;</span></h2> <p>*6763746369420237*</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Studies suggest that sensing bitterness may affect how much we eat. If you are a non-taster for bitter foods, pay attention to the size of your meals. Avoid overeating by being mindful of your meal portions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2938875/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p>
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260 | content_learn_more_5348400779810233_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your TAS2R38 gene is associated with intermediate sensitivity to bitterness in foods and drinks. Your genotype does not put you at a higher risk of overeating. However, this doesn't reflect your overall eating habits, just one aspect related to them. Keep reading to learn more.
260 | content_recommendation_6763746369420237_key == 6763746369420237
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260 | content_recommendation_6763746369420237_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs713598,rs1726866,rs10246939
rsStatus = rs713598,TAS2R38,chr7,141973545,C,A,G,T,26,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1726866,TAS2R38,chr7,141972905,G,A,,,28,19,HET
rsStatus = rs10246939,TAS2R38,chr7,141972804,T,C,,,19,18,HET
