The Real Reason for Why Some People Dislike Vegetables

Everyone knows someone who dislikes vegetables. But before you accuse them of being a picky eater, a new study has developed the real reason behind the distaste. Each and every individual perceives a vegetable with a different bitterness which is, to a certain point, tolerable. It is when this point is crossed that a person no longer wants to eat a vegetable due to its taste. By testing this perceived bitterness that is received by the same taste bud in different people, researchers were able to determine just why the differences exist.

In an evolutionary function, our taste buds have modified so that we do not like vegetables which could in some way harm us. In this case, the bitterness is a likely indication that a food would inhibit the processes of the thyroid. A compound known as a glucosinolate is present in many vegetables of the human diet. These compounds prevent the proper function of the thyroid and in extreme cases can increase preexisting problems. Low levels of iodine, the key component of thyroid function, have been linked to retarded sexual maturation and mental retardation.

Prior research suggests the bitter response receptors may have been formed due to their advantage of potentially toxic plant compounds. This research varies from that completed in the past in that the emphasis is on real bitter vegetable compounds as opposed to synthetically manufactured ones.

The study found that those individuals whom were adversely affected by the compound were most sensitive to the bitter taste. Those who were not as affected by the compound did not taste the bitterness and were therefore more likely to eat the vegetables. In this study, researchers in New York were able to show that there are multiple genetic versions of the same taste receptor. It is these variations which determine a particular person's perception of the plants that contain the glucosinolate compounds.

Those subjects who had two of the sensitive taste gene rated the vegetables as 60% more bitter than those who possessed two of the less sensitive taste receptor. People who had only one of either receptor rated the vegetables at an intermediate bitterness level.

Six vegetables were of specific significance:
>Mustard greens
>Watercress
>Broccoli
>Turnip
>Horse radish
>Rutabaga

This particular study spreads far beyond the specific topics studies. Worldwide more than one billion people are at risk for iodine deficiency and thyroid complications. Avoiding foods such as those tested in this study may help many avoid foods which adversely affect their thyroid and therefore help their general help. The study also emphasized how modification of a single gene is capable of affecting the taste perception of an entire family of vegetables and beyond all else, the importance of the single gene in the human body.

More information on this research project can be found in Current Biology.