Abstract

Background: Given the increase in malnutrition due to excess (overweight and obesity), have investigated multiple factors that could be related to the increase in incidence, one of these is the alteration in the perception of sweet taste. Objective: To relate the subjective perception of sweet taste intensity with body composition of university students from Chile. Materials and Methods: Quasi-experimental study with a single-blind, crossover design. The sample of 43 volunteers was subjected to a bioelectrical impedance test to determine body composition. The perception of sweet taste intensity was determined with five concentrations of sucrose at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%, which had to be evaluated on a visual analogue scale (VAS), from “I do not perceive sweetness” to “it is too sweet”. Results: A sig-nificant increase in perceived sweetness intensity was identified between 10 to 15% sucrose (p<0,001) and between 15 to 20% sucrose concentration (p<0,05). Correlations were found between fat mass (Rho= -0,67 p<0,001) and BMI (Rho= -0,62 p<0,01) with taste intensity at 20% especially in females. Conclusions: Sweet taste intensity perception, especially at 20%, could be a good predictor of fat mass accumulation, future studies could validate this feature with other clinical variables.