NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.—The ability to taste a bitter compound called 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) may help identify an individual’s risk for becoming obese and/or developing cardiovascular disease, according to an ongoing study being conducted at Rutgers University.
Professor Beverly Tepper’s 3-year study, “Bitter Taste Phenotype, Diet and Obesity in Women,” examines whether the ability to taste PROP plays a role in how much and what kinds of foods individuals consume. This information ultimately may help physicians use PROP as a screening tool to identify individuals at risk for excessive weight gain due to dietary causes.
Participants are exposed to a buffet-style eating situation at Rutgers’ sensory evaluation lab at Rutgers that tracks how many calories the participants consume, as well as the types of food they choose. Tepper also is looking at whether non-tasters consume more added fats (i.e., salad dressings, mayonnaise) than medium- and super-tasters.
“We know from our previous studies that non-tasters tend to be heavier,” the researcher said. “But laboratories haven’t been able to demonstrate a difference in calorie or fat intake. Part of the issue is that it’s been self-reported, which tends to be biased. So ,we designed this study to bring people into the lab, where we can effectively measure what they’re eating.”
