Featuring results presented at the Sensitivity to PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) symposium held as a satellite to the European Chemosensory Research Organisation conference in Erlangen, Germany, this volume's field-shaping selections review all sides of PROP sensitivity measurement-from its descriptive worth with regard to sensory experiences, individual taste perceptions, and food choices to its predictive power in the nutrition and public health arenas. Written by recognized names from industry and academia, Genetic Variation in Taste Sensitivity is ideal for taste, olfaction, and flavor chemists and scientists; sensory evaluation chemists and scientists; and nutritionists.

Nutrigenetics: Applying the Science of Personal Nutrition provides a fully referenced, readable guide to understanding the rationale and importance of nutrigenetic applications and explains why single nutrition recommendations will not fit everybody or even a majority of modern humans. This books explains how genetic variation shapes individual nutrition requirements and sensitivities, presents questions to ask about reported gene-nutrient interactions, and what needs to be done before putting nutrigenetic tests to practical use. This book blends key concepts from the fields of genetics, biochemistry, epidemiology, public health, and clinical medicine to give a rich perspective on the genetically diverse nutritional needs and sensitivities of individuals in health and disease. A steadily increasing number of people order genetic tests to find out what they should eat for better health, well being and performance, and an even greater number asks their healthcare providers about such tests. Most of the currently offered tests are not grounded in current knowledge, often absurdly so, but few professionals can explain why they are misguided. On the other hand, there are more evidence-supported genetic variants that can guide nutrition decisions, but again most healthcare providers know little about them, much less use them in their daily practice. There is a great need for a solidly evidence-based yet accessible book that explains the science of nutrigenetics and provides the tools to evaluate new nutrigenetic tests. - Comprehensive coverage of the emerging science of nutritional genetics and its promise for individually tailored nutrition guidance - Presents practical examples to enhance comprehension and spur additional research - Offers a logical progression from what nutrigenetics is, to its possibilities in enhancing health

This is a comprehensive and unique text that details the latest research on smell and taste disorders for use by clinicians and scientists.

The sensation of flavor reflects the complex integration of aroma, taste, texture, and chemesthetic (oral and nasal irritation cues) from a food or food component. Flavor is a major determinant of food palatability—the extent to which a food is accepted or rejected—and can profoundly influence diet selection, nutrition, and health. Despite recent progress, gaps in knowledge still remain regarding how taste and flavor cues are detected at the periphery, conveyed by the brainstem to higher cortical levels, and then interpreted as a conscious sensation. Taste signals are also projected to central feeding centers where they can regulate hunger and fullness. Individual differences in sensory perceptions are also well known and can arise from genetic variation, environmental causes, or a variety of metabolic diseases, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Genetic taste/smell variation could predispose individuals to these same diseases. Recent findings have opened new avenues of inquiry, suggesting that fatty acids and carbohydrates may provide nutrient-specific signals informing the gut and brain of the nature of the ingested nutrients. This Special Issue, Taste, Nutrition, and Health, presents original research communications and comprehensive reviews on topics of broad interest to researchers and educators in sensory science, nutrition, physiology, public health, and health care.

This book discusses the chemistry of food proteins and peptides and their relationship with nutritional, functional, and health applications. Bringing together authorities in the field, it provides a comprehensive discussion focused on fundamental chemistries and mechanisms underpinning the structure-function relationships of food proteins and peptides. The functional and bioactive properties hinge on their structural features such as amino acid sequence, molecular size, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and net charges. The book includes coverage of advances in the nutritional and health applications of protein and peptide modifications; novel applications of food proteins and peptides in the development of edible functional biomaterials; advances in the use of proteomics and peptidomics for food proteins and peptide analysis (foodomics); and the relevance of food protein and peptide chemistries in policy and regulation. Research into the fundamental chemistries behind the functional, health and nutritional benefits is burgeoning and has gained the interest of scientists, the industry, regulatory agencies, and consumers. This book fills the knowledge gap providing an excellent source of information for researchers, instructors, students, food and nutrition industry, and policy makers.

The human tongue has somewhere up to eight thousand taste buds to inform us when something is sweet, salty, sour, or bitter—or as we usually think of it—delicious or revolting. Tastes differ from one region to the next, and no two people’s seem to be the same. But why is it that some people think maple syrup is too sweet, while others can’t get enough? What makes certain people love Roquefort cheese and others think it smells like feet? Why do some people think cilantro tastes like soap? John Prescott tackles this conundrum in Taste Matters, an absorbing exploration of why we eat and seek out the foods that we do. Prescott surveys the many factors that affect taste, including genetic inheritance, maternal diet, cultural traditions, and physiological influences. He also delves into what happens when we eat for pleasure instead of nutrition, paying particularly attention to affluent Western societies, where, he argues, people increasingly view food selection as a sensory or intellectual pleasure rather than a means of survival. As obesity and high blood pressure are on the rise along with a number of other health issues, changes in the modern diet are very much to blame, and Prescott seeks to answer the question of why and how our tastes often lead us to eat foods that are not the best for our health. Compelling and accessible, this timely book paves the way for a healthier and more sustainable understanding of taste.

This book closely examines the discovery of the taste receptors and the recent breakthrough in the culturing of taste bud cells that have heightened the field of Sweeteners and modified our perception of them. It also discusses topics such as structural studies of the sweetener receptor, modeling of the sweetener receptor, sweet taste transduction, and advances in the discovery and commercial development of natural non-caloric sweeteners.

A comprehensive portrayal of the behaviour genetics of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and the methods used in these studies.

"What makes you the way you are--and what makes each of us different from everyone else? In Innate, leading neuroscientist and popular science blogger Kevin Mitchell traces human diversity and individual differences to their deepest level: in the wiring of our brains. Deftly guiding us through important new research, including his own groundbreaking work, he explains how variations in the way our brains develop before birth strongly influence our psychology and behavior throughout our lives, shaping our personality, intelligence, sexuality, and even the way we perceive the world. We all share a genetic program for making a human brain, and the program for making a brain like yours is specifically encoded in your DNA. But, as Mitchell explains, the way that program plays out is affected by random processes of development that manifest uniquely in each person, even identical twins. The key insight of Innate is that the combination of these developmental and genetic variations creates innate differences in how our brains are wired--differences that impact all aspects of our psychology--and this insight promises to transform the way we see the interplay of nature and nurture. Innate also explores the genetic and neural underpinnings of disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy, and how our understanding of these conditions is being revolutionized. In addition, the book examines the social and ethical implications of these ideas and of new technologies that may soon offer the means to predict or manipulate human traits. Compelling and original, Innate will change the way you think about why and how we are who we are."--Provided by the publisher.

Written by leaders in the field of chemosensation, Chemosensory Transduction provides a comprehensive resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms that allow animals to detect their chemical world. The text focuses on mammals, but also includes several chapters on chemosensory transduction mechanisms in lower vertebrates and insects. This book examines transduction mechanisms in the olfactory, taste, and somatosensory (chemesthetic) systems as well as in a variety of internal sensors that are responsible for homeostatic regulation of the body. Chapters cover such topics as social odors in mammals, vertebrate and invertebrate olfactory receptors, peptide signaling in taste and gut nutrient sensing. Includes a foreword by preeminent olfactory scientist Stuart Firestein, Chair of Columbia University's Department of Biological Sciences in New York, NY. Chemosensory Transduction describes state-of-the-art approaches and key findings related to the study of the chemical senses. Thus, it serves as the go-to reference for this subject for practicing scientists and students with backgrounds in sensory biology and/or neurobiology. The volume will also be valuable for industry researchers engaged in the design or testing of flavors, fragrances, foods and/or pharmaceuticals. - Provides a comprehensive overview for all chemosensory transduction mechanisms - Valuable for academics focused on sensory biology, neurobiology, and chemosensory transduction, as well as industry researchers in new flavor, fragrance, and food testing - Edited by leading experts in the field of olfactory transduction - Focuses on mammals, but lower vertebrates and invertebrate model systems are also included