PHYSIOLOGY OF TASTE PERCEPTION: THE ROLE OF GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN THE FORMATION OF TASTE PREFERENCES

Abstract

Taste perception has a significant impact on the formation of human food preferences. The basics of taste perception of the child are formed under the influence of genetic polymorphism and congenital taste preferences, developing under the influence of a number of environmental factors. A significant impact on the formation of taste hasthe mother’s nutrition during pregnancy, the nature of the child’sfeeding, the baby’s health during the first year of life, as well as national and family traditions of nutrition. The article describes the mechanisms of formation of different taste sensations, summarizes the results of modern research on the genetics of taste receptors, the role of individual environmental factors in the development of food preferences. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of the child’s nutrition during the first year of life.