Volume 90, Issue 1, July (2003), pp. 199-206 © The Author 2003
doi:10.1079/BJN2003858

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The effect of addition of linoleic acid on food intake regulation in linoleic acid tasters and linoleic acid non-tasters

Marleen M. J. W. Kamphuis¹, Wim H. M. Saris¹, Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga^1
1Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastrict University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastrict, The Netherlands

 (Received 12 November 2001–Revised 2 January 2003–Accepted 10 February 2003)

In a randomised, single blind, placebo-controlled crossover design study, we investigated whether healthy, non-smoking, dietary unrestrained women (n 24), divided into linoleic acid tasters (LAT, n 14) and linoleic acid non-tasters (LANT, n 10), differed in food intake regulation when linoleic acid was added to ice creams. The determination of subjects as LAT or LANT was done using a 10 μm-linoleic acid solution. The ice creams were characterised by the subjects and a taste perception test using the triangle test was conducted three times. Food intake and appetite were measured using the universal eating monitor. LAT and LANT did not differ in characterisation or in taste perception of the ice creams, even though LAT were able to increase their ability to discriminate between the ice cream with linoleic acid from the one containing oleic acid. No effect of LAT status or type of ice cream was found for hedonic value of the ice creams. Linoleic acid taster status did affect food intake regulation. For LAT, but not LANT, the amount eaten was a function of Δsatiety. Subjects ate by weight of food and not by energy content. In conclusion, differences in food intake regulation were seen between LAT and LANT, in that the amount eaten by LAT was a function of Δsatiety, but was not for LANT.

Keywords:
Linoleic acid, Fat perception, Food intake regulation, Satiety, Macronutrients, Energy density

Abbreviations:
LANT, linoleic acid non-taster, LAT, linoleic acid taster, PROP, 6-n-propyl thiouracyl, VAS, visual analogue scale