Vegans, vegetarians and omnivore diets differ in nutrient hedonics, flavouring and salt and sweet taste.

Abstract PurposeDietary content can influence taste responses. Therefore, we compared nutrient hedonics (liking foodsby nutrient content), and seasoning, including taste responses to the prime flavours salt and sweet in vegans (16 men 14 women), vegetarians (38, 24) and omnivores (55, 38).MethodsQuestionnaires and taste tests examined macronutrient and electrolyte intake and hedonics, seasoning, salt and sweet preferences and psychophysical taste responses.ResultsCompared to omnivores, vegans had lower protein, Ca++, Na+ intake, and increased CHO intake. Independently of intake, hedonics for protein Ca++ and Na+ were reduced and increased for CHO. Psychophysical responses to NaCl and sucrose also differed slightly, vegans and vegetarians scoring high concentrations of sucrose as more intense, Vegans reported more sweetening and less salting of food, added more sucrose to a test tea, less salt to a test soup, but did not differ in seasoning with oil or hot spice.ConclusionHabitual vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets may alter taste responses to nutrient content and salt and sweet, the latter more pronounced in vegan and vegetarian women. Recognising diet-dependent changes in taste hedonics can inform diets and products.