Changes in Sweet Taste Sensitivity during Menstrual Cycles in Young Women

Abstract

Objective: Estrogen and progesterone may affect taste sensitivity, which is associated with food intake and appetite. However, the relationship between these factors remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether the menstrual cycle induces changes in sweet taste sensitivity and evaluate its impact on appetite, food preference, food intake, and body weight.

Methods: Seventeen young women with regular menstrual cycles were studied for a total of 3 days over the menstrual, ovulatory, and luteal phases. Body weight and body fat percentage were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated using self-reported height. Taste sensitivity was measured using the whole-mouth tasting method, and chocolate preference was evaluated. The participants also completed questionnaires on appetite and menstrual symptoms. The diet was assessed photographically during the days of the experiment and for 2 days thereafter.

Results: The sweet taste recognition threshold was significantly lower during the luteal phase than during the ovulatory phase. However, no differences in appetite, chocolate preference, energy intake, energy-producing nutrient intake, body weight, or body fat percentage were observed among the three menstrual cycle phases. The sweet taste recognition threshold positively correlated with BMI, regardless of the menstrual cycle phase, whereas it positively correlated with body weight and body fat percentage, and negatively correlated with appetite during the luteal phase.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that sensitivity to sweet taste is relatively higher during the luteal phase. Furthermore, increased sweet taste sensitivity in the luteal phase was associated with lower body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and higher appetite.