Research
Uncovers Little-Known Impacts of Smell and Taste on Health
NIDCD-Supported Science to be Presented at International
Chemical Senses Symposium in San Francisco |
What: |
The senses of smell and taste may have greater
bearing on health than is generally accepted by both doctors
and patients. Recent research suggests that these senses
and their influence on behavior have implications for nutrition,
aging, mental health, obesity, diabetes and safety. Researchers
supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes
of Health, will be presenting their work at the International
Symposium on Olfaction and Taste. |
When: |
July 21-26, 2008 |
Where: |
Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Embarcadero, San
Francisco |
Additional Information: Read on for a sampling
of topics to be covered at the meeting.
Epidemiological Studies of Taste and Smell
Scientists who study smell and taste are uncovering evidence that
these senses make surprising contributions to our overall health.
Genetic variations and smell and taste disorders may underlie
dietary habits and impact weight, blood pressure and other risk
factors for cardiovascular disease or diabetes. However, epidemiologists
have conducted few studies to measure the prevalence and types
of smell and taste disorders in the general population or among
various age groups. In this symposium, NIDCD epidemiologist Howard
Hoffman will describe NIH efforts to encourage improved collection
of statistical data on normal and disordered smell and taste.
Among the other symposium speakers will be NIDCD-supported scientists
Claire Murphy, Ph.D., of San Diego State University, who studies
smell and the aging brain; Linda Bartoshuk, Ph.D., of the University
of Florida, an internationally recognized taste researcher; and
Karen Cruickshanks, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, who
leads population studies in Beaver Dam, Wisc. (Saturday, July
26, Symposium, 9:00 to 11:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom C)
Edible Taste Strips Could Standardize Taste Testing
In order to accurately measure normal ranges of taste sensitivity
by gender and age, scientists need a standardized, validated
taste test. Researchers currently use various tests, each with
specific limitations, in which participants rate the intensity
of a taste in a liquid, flavored candy or on filter paper. NIDCD-funded
researchers Gregory Smutzer, Ph.D., of Temple University in Philadelphia,
and Lloyd Hastings, Ph.D., of Osmic Enterprises Inc. in Cincinnati,
are leading the development of edible taste strips that could
improve accuracy and ease the administration of taste tests.
Smutzer and his team have created taste strips, similar to breath-freshening
strips, each containing a precise amount of a chemical taste
stimulus. The researchers can prepare these strips to measure
salt, sweet, sour, bitter and savory (also known as umami) taste
sensitivity. (Friday, July 25, Poster Session IV, 2:00 to 6:00
p.m., Pacific Concourse, Posters #349, 351 and 352)
How Sweet It Is
From the donut counter to our ever-expanding waistlines, scientists
are seeking clues about what could be driving the obesity epidemic
in America. While much of the research effort is focused on how
the body uses and stores energy, NIDCD-supported research is
uncovering valuable clues through studies on the sense of taste.
Studies on sweet taste receptors are providing new evidence for
biological factors that raise or lower sensitivity to sweet tastes
and might stoke desire for cookies, cake, ice cream and other
sweet treats. In this symposium, Steven Munger, Ph.D., of the
University of Maryland School of Medicine, will present recent
findings on a hormone known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)
that appears to modulate sensitivity to sweet tastes. Scientists
already knew that GLP-1 produced in the gut stimulates insulin
production. Munger and his collaborators from NIH's National
Institute on Aging demonstrated that GLP-1 is also made in taste
buds and appears to act on taste cells to maintain or enhance
sweet taste sensitivity. This discovery suggests that interventions
aimed at the taste buds might be able to dull sweet cravings.
(Thursday, July 24, Symposium, 8:00 to 10:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom
A)
From Bitter to Sweet, It's in Our Genes
Scientists hypothesize that bitter taste receptors evolved to prevent
early humans from ingesting bitter-tasting toxins commonly found
in plants. Yet, in scientific taste tests, up to 30 percent of
people barely recognize some bitter tastes while others seem
to have a heightened sensitivity to them. Bitterness can enhance
food flavor—coffee, bok choy, dark chocolate and beer are
perennial favorites for this reason. Scientists are seeking to
better understand our response to bitterness and its influence
on diet and nutrition. In this symposium, NIDCD researcher Dennis
Drayna, Ph.D., will discuss genetic studies that are helping
to explain why people respond differently to bitter as well as
sweet-tasting compounds. His group previously identified a gene
that explains differences in bitter taste perception, and has
now expanded his genetic studies to understand the range of sweet
taste perception. He and his team have pinpointed genetic differences
that affect sweet sensitivity in different populations. Understanding
such differences could help public health officials to more effectively
foster healthy eating in global populations. (Wednesday, July
23, Symposium, 8:00 to 10:15 a.m., Grand Ballroom C)
When Chronic Sinusitis Impairs Smell
A glance down the sinus remedy aisle of your local drug store only
hints at the impact of chronic sinusitis in the United States.
More than 30 million Americans have chronic sinusitis, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition
to its vexing upper respiratory symptoms, chronic sinusitis often
also diminishes the sense of smell (and, thus, flavor perception).
In spite of the health consequences of this widespread condition,
treatment options are limited and often ineffective. This symposium
will cover several studies including clinical measurements at
Monell Chemical Senses Center and Thomas Jefferson University.
NIDCD-funded researchers there, led by Monell's Nancy Rawson,
Ph.D., and Beverly Cowart, Ph.D., are examining people with chronic
sinusitis and measuring key characteristics of their disease.
These studies are expected to provide valuable insights on factors
of chronic sinusitis that erode the sense of smell. (Tuesday,
July 22, Symposium, 7:00 to 9:15 p.m., Grand Ballroom B, and
Friday, July 25, Poster Session IV, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., Pacific
Concourse, Poster #385)
Helping Firefighters Preserve their Sense of Smell
Firefighters know they are putting theirs lives on the line when
they rush into a burning building, but may not be aware of the
potential risk to their sense of smell. Researchers led by Pamela
Dalton, Ph.D., at the Monell Chemical Senses Center studied Philadelphia
firefighters with varying years of experience and found that
reduced sense of smell was associated with greater years of employment.
Firefighters often do not know which chemicals might be present
in a fire and are regularly exposed to a variety of chemical
gases and fumes. Loss of smell will not only reduce a firefighter's
quality of life, but also represents an occupational hazard as
it may diminish his or her ability to smell smoke or burning
wires. The NIDCD-funded researchers say their results illustrate
the importance of using protective respiratory devices and monitoring
firefighters' sense of smell. They also are conducting a long-term
study of new firefighter recruits. (Wednesday, July 23, Poster
Session II, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Concourse, Poster #169)
For more information on the International Symposium on Olfaction
and Taste, visit www.achems.org.
NIDCD, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2008, supports
and conducts research and research training on the normal and disordered
processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech and
language and provides health information, based upon scientific
discovery, to the public. For more information about NIDCD programs,
see the Web site at www.nidcd.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov. |