Is There a Science to Food Likes and Dislikes?
Aug. 26, 2004 -- Don't like sushi or whipped cream or vodka cocktails? You're not alone.
Behavior experts estimate that nearly one-quarter of healthy American adults have a food aversion at any given time. Nearly one-third of the population will experience a food preference during the course of his or her life. [FOOD PREFERENCE -- THAT SOUNDS TOO BROAD]
People's food habits cover anything related to eating. They include finicky or picky eaters and those who will eat almost anything. Some refuse to let their foods touch each other, while others are "food-mixers," and chose to eat each meal with all foods mixed together. Some even eat their food in a particular order, or with an unusual utensil.
On Seinfeld, for instance, Jerry dumped a girlfriend for her food idiosyncrasy — she ate her peas individually with a fork.
Mental Food Fights
Researchers say one of the most common food avoidances is high-protein foods like red meat.
"Nobody really knows why," said Richard Mattes, a nutritional professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
He hypothesizes that some of the compounds found in high-protein foods loosen the muscles of the digestive system, potentially contributing to acid reflux disease, or heartburn. Once the food is associated with a problem like acid reflux disease, it is much more likely that the person will no longer want to try the food again.
Aversions like these are usually very specific. A bad experience with a piece of meatloaf would not preclude you from eating a hamburger or taco, despite each being made with the same beef ingredients.
For some, color and texture are more objectionable than the type or content of the food. They may find a problem with the foamy consistency of whipped foods like creams or frostings, but enjoy food similar in shape and color if they are heavier — like mashed potatoes or ice cream.
Not surprisingly, green vegetables are also high up on the aversion list, says Deborah Marcontell Michel, a clinical psychology professor at Tulane University's School of Medicine in New Orleans.
"A patient of mine described his aversion to green foods because they were 'green and slimy,'" Marcontell Michel said. "For these patients, the objections are so vivid and averse, their associations are all negative."
Another of Marcontell Michel's patients did not like to eat chicken because the skin of the chicken, cooked or otherwise, reminded him of human flesh.
Certain alcoholic beverages — "especially among college students," Mattes noted — are also largely avoided. However, since these associations are so highly specialized, a bad hangover or stomach upset from vodka, for instance, will not prevent experimentation with other alcoholic drinks.
"People have tried to use those associations to condition people not to drink," Mattes said. "But these behaviors are so specific, you would just move onto another type of alcohol."
The Hunger of Habit
Food aversions are largely unexplained in the scientific world—the associations are "noncognitive" or irrationally based. The majority of researchers believe these behaviors are more learned than biologically based.
"Usually, you associate two things that are close together," said Mattes "But even if you eat something and then come down with the flu hours later, you will probably have a bad feeling about that food. You can know that the food wasn't what caused the problem, but that doesn't necessarily allow you to disassociate the problem in your head."
"We all have a lot of idiosyncratic food behaviors," said Keith Ayoob, a professor and pediatric nutritionalist at Albert Einstein University says. IS THIS THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AT YESHIVA?
"For instance, why do we put ice in our soda in the middle of the winter? It's zero degrees out; we should have something warm, but we want ice in our soda because that's what we do," he said.
Mattes agreed: "Generally, we like what we eat rather than eat what we like."
Much of what we do is simply a matter of habit. Other food preferences are created from tradition and advertising. "If [food behaviors] were biologically based they should not be U.S.-specific," Mattes said. "In this culture, chocolate, for instance, is a reward food. But other cultures' relationship to foods like chocolate is very different."
However, Mattes and a few other scientists concede that in addition to psychosomatic, or mentally driven physical issues, some foods have a specific purpose and the craving could signify a need for that nutrient.
A sweet taste or craving is related to carbohydrates, for instance, Mattes explains. Salty signifies our need to regulate our electrolytes such as sodium and potassium in our bodies. Bitter tastes are intended to warn us against toxins.
Some social factors can still outweigh these biological warning signs. Coffee is quite bitter, a taste that most animals avoid, but very few Americans make a habit of avoiding coffee.
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
Experts say that your preferences are a medley of what you learn as a child with some genetics mixed in.
Some people are just born with a greater sensory sensitivity relating to food, says nutritional adviser Ellyn Satter, author of the book Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family.
"Some children are certainly born with a high sensitivity to taste or texture," she said. "Obviously, those children are going to experience flavors keenly."
In addition to the normal variations, approximately 35 percent of women and 15 percent of men are "super-tasters," born with extra taste buds. These men and women are able to distinguish tastes better and have an even higher sensitivity to taste.
Many food problems originate during the toddler years, when children are making the move from soft foods to textured foods, Marcontell Michel says. Satter agrees and advocates that her clients take their child's food experiments in stride.
Although a child will have individual preferences, parents are likely to pass on your own food preferences and phobias to your children.
Parents who do the cooking and grocery shopping often choose foods they themselves like, and avoid those that they don't, passing on those inclinations to their children.
Be it a family meal, the company dinner, or fast food on-the-go, "eating is ultimately a social act," Satter said. "Even if you're alone, eating is always a relationship."
The good news is that for most of us, food idiosyncrasies are not a cause for concern. If we really dislike hot sauces or bland wheat cereals, we can usually make up for flavor and nutrients in other foods or with additional vitamins.
"If [your food behaviors do not] interfere with your life, fine; eat what you want the way you want it," said Ayoob. "But it if does, you need to see someone."