Liking for sweetness is imprinted in one’s genotype, whereas a taste for things salty is primarily dictated by the environment.
Therefore fondness for salt can be influenced more easily than the so-called “sweet tooth”. This is the finding of Master of Arts Kaisu Keskitalo’s doctoral dissertation reviewed at the University of Helsinki.
Diet has a significant role to play with regard to the occurrence of many national diseases, and the choices as to what to eat are greatly dictated by one’s taste preferences.
It is unclear, however, if our taste preferences and behavioural patterns - when it comes to eating - are congenital or learned habits.
In Keskitalo’s research the subjects were young Finnish adults.
According to the findings, around 40 percent of differences in preferred tastes are explained by genetic factors.
The childhood family environment does not have a role to play.
The fondness for salty tastes, on the other hand, is not a hereditary characteristic, but mainly caused by the environment.
