Changes in Patients’ Taste Acuity after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for Clinically Severe Obesity
Section snippets
Methods
The study protocol was approved by the Biomedical Sciences Human Subjects Review Committee of The Ohio State University. Voluntary informed consent was obtained from each subject before entry to the study.
Results
All 14 RYGB subjects completed sucrose taste measurements, and 12 of them completed urea taste measurements. Plasma zinc levels were available for 10 of the surgery subjects. The mean age of the RYGB subjects was 38.4±6 years; mean BMI was 60.8±11.8 kg/m2. The four subjects who were consuming the VLCD completed taste measurements for sucrose and urea; the mean age of these subjects was 47±6 years and mean BMI was 43±9.
Taste recognition thresholds for sucrose decreased significantly (P<.05)
Discussion
Taste acuity can be determined by means of a variety of methods that measure detection and recognition thresholds, including the three-drop forced-choice method and the staircase method (13). We chose the staircase method to avoid the limitations of the three-drop forced-choice method, for example, limited area exposure to the taste buds, which may be exaggerated in situations where there is an alteration in the surface topology of the tongue.
Distorted taste, by affecting both choice of food
Applications
RYGB results in changes in food preferences and eating patterns that are associated with changes in taste acuity. After RYGB, patients have an increased taste acuity for sucrose. This increased acuity, combined with an increased tendency to exhibit symptoms of the dumping syndrome after sucrose ingestion, may result in an aversion to sweet foods. Postoperatively, aversion to meat in RYGB patients does not appear to be the result of alterations in taste acuity for urea. However, patients who
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Sweet taste and obesity
2021, European Journal of Internal MedicineCitation Excerpt :In studies conducted to test differences in taste perception following bariatric surgery, threshold estimation was also a common outcome, as shown in Table 2. Here, some[24–26,29], but not all studies[27,28,30], revealed an improvement of taste sensitivity after bariatric surgery, but with inconsistent profiles across taste qualities. Specifically, following RYGB, there are reports of lower detection thresholds (i.e. increase in taste sensitivity) for sweet taste, using the constant stimuli method two months after surgery[26], and also for sweet taste, but not for bitter taste, up to 3 months after surgery, using an up-down/ staircase method[25].
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2020, Physiology and BehaviorCitation Excerpt :Sweet, salty, and umami tastes are usually well accepted by humans and contribute to the palatability of foods and promote their intake while bitter and sour tastes reduce palatability of foods [25]. Additionally, decreases in sweet and salt sensitivity are reported in the individuals with morbid obesity after gastric bypass surgery [31,32]. Mixtures of sugar and fat are considered especially palatable by individuals with obesity [33–35].
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2020, AppetiteCitation Excerpt :The literature remains divided on whether or not sweet sensitivity measured at threshold levels is changed after RYGB or SG. Research has indicated both increased sweet taste sensitivity (i.e. decreased sucrose detection and recognition thresholds) (Bueter et al., 2011; Burge, Schaumburg, Choban, DiSilvestro, & Flancbaum, 1995) or no change in taste sensitivity (Nance et al., 2017; Pepino, Bradley, et al., 2014; Scruggs, Buffington, & Cowan, 1994) in studies that are relatively comparable in gender distribution and time since surgery. The only difference was in methodology used.
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