Programming the gustatory and olfactory systems
in: Breastfeeding and Metabolic Programming, Springer International Publishing Ag, pp.433-439, 2023
- Publication Type: Book Chapter / Chapter Research Book
- Publication Date: 2023
- Doi Number: 10.1007/978-3-031-33278-4_33
- Publisher: Springer International Publishing Ag
- Page Numbers: pp.433-439
- Keywords: Biological, Food, Gustatory, Olfactory, Programming
- Eskisehir Osmangazi University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Over the course of life, people alter in the tastes and smells that they most enjoy. Preferences for specific tastes or smells appear to begin from the stage of conception and continue right up until old age. There are many interacting factors, biological, social, cultural and environmental, which affect which foods an individual chooses, enjoys or wishes to eat. There are many questions that remain to be answered regarding food preferences, such as whether the key effects are genetically determined, result from metabolic programming or are shaped by the mother during pregnancy and any period of breastfeeding which follows. Does the local cuisine play an important part in establishing an individual's gastronomic preferences? Do familiarity and nostalgia play a part? And is it possible to begin to enjoy a flavour first encountered in adulthood? Besides these questions, there are the many effects of culture to consider. Geographic availability, food culture, socioeconomic status, religious dietary rules and affordability all play a major role, it seems. However, deciding which of these many factors is central to food choices is not a simple matter. Does biology determine the situation, or is it less straightforward than we might suppose?