Pleasantness of fat flavor is decreased in young adults with high perceived stress

Chronic stress has been linked to changes in taste or odor perception. People with high levels of perceived chronic stress consume more fatty foods. However, few studies have investigated whether perceived chronic stress is associated with altered fat perception. High-stress (N = 33) and low-stress (N = 31) participants were pre-screened using the simplified Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (SCPSS). Oral and olfactory discrimination of fat between milk samples with different fat contents (0%, 2%, and 3.5%) were assessed using the A-Not A with reminder task (A-Not AR). Perceived creaminess, fattiness, and liking for fat taste/flavor were measured using Likert scales. Dairy intake was measured using the food frequency scales and the 24-hour food recall questionnaires. No significant difference in fat discrimination performance was found between the high- and low-stress groups. Compared with the low-stress group, the high-stress group showed reduced pleasantness ratings for the whole milk fat flavor and taste (with nose clips). In addition, the high-stress group ate less vegetables and fruits than the low-stress group. For people with high levels of perceived stress, the observed altered fat sensory preference may contribute to the consumption or choice of certain foods.

Practical Applications

The perception of fat contributes to food consumption. The current results suggest that a high level of perceived stress is associated with decreased hedonic food-related fat sensory perception, which contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying stress-related eating behavior and may help future research on dietary or psychological interventions for stressed populations.