Taste perception and oral microbiota: recent advances and future perspectives

Summary

Human health is to a large extent affected by our food choices. Recent advances in the sensory field have shown relations between taste perception and the oral microbiota, which could open up for a new pathway to change food preferences. Here, we summarize the latest insights on taste perception and oral microbiota and discuss upon the knowledge gaps. Although relationships between oral bacteria and taste thresholds have been shown, there are inconsistencies among studies, and the direction of causality needs to be proven. Within-subject longitudinal studies are recommended, and three focus areas are proposed for future research linked to causality, natural fluctuations, and perturbation effects. Multidisciplinary collaboration is needed to get a full systemic overview of the complex human host–microbiome regulation and determine to what extent it is possible to modulate taste perception through the oral microbiota.