Abstract P424: Associations of Taste-Related Genes With Empirical Dietary Patterns Among Community-Dwelling Adults - The Framingham Heart Study

Background: Understanding the genetic contribution to food choices and intake is critical for the development of effective precision nutrition guidance. Recent findings by our lab suggest that genetic variants (SNPs) related to bitter and umami taste perception are differentially associated with food group intakes. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of bitter- and umami-related SNPs, combined as polygenic taste scores, with overall dietary patterns. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted in 5,817 Framingham Heart Study Offspring (1998-2001) and Third Generation (2002-05) participants (mean age ± SD: 50 ± 14 years; 54% female). Weighed polygenic taste scores were derived using SNPs identified from prior genome-wide association studies for taste perception (11 SNPs: 9 bitter and 2 umami). Higher scores indicated more alleles for higher taste perception. Empirical dietary patterns were derived using Principal Component (PC) analysis with food groups tabulated from food frequency questionnaires. Associations were assessed using linear mixed effects models with FDR adjustment. Results: Three dietary patterns were identified, explaining 32% of total variance in dietary intake: a vegetables, fruits, legumes, and fish pattern (Prudent); a refined grains, sweets, salty foods, and pizza pattern (Western); and a liquor, beer, and wine pattern (Alcohol). On average, after adjusting for age, sex, genetic PCs and energy intake, higher umami polygenic taste scores were associated with lower adherence to the Prudent dietary pattern (OR [95% CI] for upper vs. lower tertial of dietary pattern adherence scores per additional allele for higher umami perception: 0.87 [0.79, 0.97]; P = 0.01). Subsequent analysis at the SNP-level identified one umami-related SNP (rs7691456_T) independently associated with lower Prudent dietary pattern adherence ( P = 0.009), potentially driving the observed association. Both associations remained significant after additional adjustment for smoking, physical activity, and BMI. No significant associations were identified for bitter-related genes and dietary patterns. Conclusions: Among community dwelling adults, higher genetic predisposition to perceive umami was associated with lower adherence to a Prudent dietary pattern, suggesting the potential benefit of leveraging knowledge of taste-related genes in precision nutrition.