Project in brief
Adolescence marks a pivotal stage in life when individuals begin to assert their autonomy, particularly in making dietary choices, with potential long-term effects on health. Therefore, promoting community well-being requires a comprehensive understanding of adolescent dietary behaviors. While social influences are relevant, sensory perception also plays a critical role. Emerging evidence suggests that the oral microbiome may be an important candidate to explain the large inter-individual differences that exist in how food tastes and smells to individuals. However, its role in the complex interplay of factors that influence sensory perception and its implications for habitual eating behaviors during adolescence remain poorly investigated.
Project objectives
- To elucidate the associations between interpersonal variations in sensory perception, the oral microbiome, taste genetics, and dietary intakes in the adolescent population;
- To identify oral microbial taxa related to taste and flavor perception of real foods;
- To identify novel genetic markers of sweet, sour and bitter taste perception.
Impact
The project will make a significant contribution to elucidating the genetic and non-genetic mechanisms underlying sensory perception of food and their influence on dietary choices during adolescence. As a result, the findings will help identify key determinants of adolescent dietary habits and provide the basis for personalized interventions aimed at promoting healthier food choices and sustained healthy dietary patterns into adulthood.
Funding
This project was funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU, in the framework of the iNEST - Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem (iNEST ECS00000043 – CUP E63C22001030007
SPOKE 2: HEALTH, FOOD AND LIFESTYLES - Coordinator Prof. Francesco Di Natale
TASK 4 FOOD and HEALTH - Coordinator Prof. Michele Perazzolli
