Relationships between autistic traits, taste preference, taste perception, and eating behaviour.

This study looked at how autistic traits affect eating habits in Japanese people. Researchers found that people with more autistic traits were pickier eaters, especially sensitive to food textures and mixed flavours. They also preferred sour tastes and were more sensitive to aftertastes. This helps explain why some people with autism have very specific food preferences and eating patterns.

This 2022 study investigated relationships between autistic traits, taste preferences, taste perception, and eating behaviours in the general Japanese population using an online questionnaire survey. Results demonstrated that individuals with higher autistic traits exhibited more selective eating behaviours, particularly increased sensitivity to food texture and mixed flavours. The study found correlations between selective eating behaviours and preference for sour taste, as well as aftertaste sensitivity. These findings suggest that eating behaviours are influenced by complex interactions between autistic traits, taste perceptions, and taste preferences, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying food selectivity in autism spectrum conditions.

Findings suggest that addressing selective eating in autism requires understanding individual taste preferences and sensitivities. Interventions may benefit from considering texture sensitivity and taste preferences, particularly sour taste preferences and aftertaste sensitivity, when developing feeding strategies for individuals with autistic traits.

Study design is not specified in the abstract, limiting assessment of methodological rigor. Sample size is not reported, making it difficult to evaluate statistical power. The study was conducted in Japanese population only, which may limit generalizability to other cultural contexts.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder exhibit atypical taste perception and eating behaviours. However, little is known about the effect of autistic traits on eating behaviours in the general population. This study explored the relationships between autistic traits, taste preferences, taste perceptions, and eating behaviours among Japanese population using an online questionnaire survey. The results showed significant effect of autistic traits on eating behaviours, that people with higher autistic traits tended to have higher selective eating behaviours, such as increased sensitivity to food texture and mixed flavours.

Moreover, selective eating behaviours were correlated with the preference for sour taste and aftertaste sensitivity. Those results suggest that eating behaviours can be influenced by the relationship between autistic traits, taste perceptions, and taste preferences. We discuss these results in the context of previous findings, and future investigations into the possibility of solving selective eating problems in individuals with autism.