Inherited taste sensitivity and swallowing

What is it about?

An individual's sensitivity to different tastes is influenced by several factors, including genetics. Taste perception has also been shown to influence some aspects of swallowing movements and swallowing-related brain activity. Here we summarize the existing literature that examines the relationship between genetic taste status and swallowing-related outcome measures.

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Photo by THAVIS 3D on Unsplash

Photo by THAVIS 3D on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Since the taste properties of a substance may influence how the brain and body work together to swallow, researchers and clinicians must take these relationships into account in their work. For persons who have difficulty swallowing due to injury or disease, this becomes especially important to diagnosing and managing their swallowing issues.