For hundreds of years, scientists have suspected a connection between our personality traits and taste preferences. Anton Brillat-Savarin, the famous French gastronome, is quoted saying, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.”
数百年来，科学家们一直怀疑我们的性格特征和口味偏好之间存在联系。法国著名美食家安东·布里亚-萨瓦兰曾说过：“告诉我你吃什么，我就能说出你是谁。”
告诉我你吃什么，我就能告诉你你是谁。
But what influences what we eat? It turns out that a symphony of elements influences our dietary intake patterns. These elements include (but are not limited to) our psychological traits (and mood states), cognitive and perceptual processes, behavioral attributes, psychosocial (including cultural) environment, and interoceptive experience. Each of these elements, in turn, is driven by physiological, biological, neuropsychological, and environmental states that are constantly at play within us (figure 1) (see the Nutritional Psychology Research Library).
但究竟是什么影响着我们的饮食习惯呢？原来，一系列复杂的因素共同作用于我们的饮食摄入模式。这些因素包括（但不限于）我们的心理特质（及情绪状态）、认知和感知过程、行为特征、心理社会（包括文化）环境以及内脏感觉体验。而这些因素又各自受到我们体内不断变化的生理、生物、神经心理和环境状态的驱动（见图1）（请参阅营养心理学研究库）。
Figure 1. Elements of the diet-mental health relationship (DMHR) informing nutritional psychology (NP)
图1. 饮食与心理健康关系（DMHR）的元素，为营养心理学（NP）提供信息
Understanding the diet-mental health relationship (DMHR) involves a wealth of conceptual complexity. The burgeoning field of nutritional psychology is attempting to integrate this conceptual complexity into a singular infrastructure by which the conceptualization of the DMHR can grow (figure 1). Nutritional psychology involves understanding the myriad factors interconnecting our dietary intake with our psychological processes, functioning, and experience. A plethora of research exists (and is growing) to improve our understanding of these interconnections and is contained in the CNP Research Libraries.
理解饮食与心理健康关系（DMHR）涉及大量的概念复杂性。营养心理学这一新兴领域正试图将这些概念复杂性整合到一个单一的基础设施中，以便DMHR的概念化能够不断发展（见图1）。营养心理学涉及理解我们饮食摄入与心理过程、功能和体验之间错综复杂的联系。存在大量（且不断增长）的研究来改善我们对这些相互关系的理解，这些研究包含在CNP研究库中。
What is Guiding What We Eat?
是什么在引导我们的饮食？
On the surface, many of us believe that what we eat is guided by what we like and want to eat (or in the current dietary intake landscape additionally, what we crave to eat and what is available to eat). In fact, what we eat goes far deeper than simply wanting and liking certain foods. A host of involuntary factors, of which we are mostly unaware, influence our daily dietary intake including our perceptions and preferences, personality, mood, behavioral attributes, and even genetics (Neuroscientist News, 2022). Let’s begin by looking at taste perception, preference, and their connection with personality traits.
从表面上看，我们中的许多人认为我们的饮食是由我们喜欢和想吃的食物（或在当前的饮食摄入环境中，我们渴望吃的食物以及可获得的食物）所引导的。事实上，我们的饮食远比仅仅想要和喜欢某些食物要复杂得多。许多我们大多未意识到的非自愿因素也在影响我们的日常饮食摄入，包括我们的感知和偏好、个性、情绪、行为特征，甚至遗传（Neuroscientist News, 2022）。让我们从味觉感知、偏好及其与个性特征的联系开始探讨。
Genetic Basis for Taste Perception and its Connection with Personality Traits
味觉感知的遗传基础及其与个性特征的联系
Perceiving taste involves complex pathways that interface with multiple cranial nerves and areas in our brain. The five taste sensations (bitter, sweet, umami, sour, and salt) arise because of the activation of specific taste receptor cells on the lingual papillae on the tongue. Specific genes encode the different taste receptors. Varieties in these genes lead to the expression of different proteins associated with different tasting abilities, preferences, and personality traits. This serves as the genetic basis for taste and the perception of taste.
味觉感知涉及复杂的途径，这些途径与我们的多个脑神经和大脑区域相连。五种基本味觉（苦、甜、鲜、酸、咸）的产生是由于舌头味蕾上的特定味觉受体细胞被激活。不同的味觉受体由特定的基因编码。这些基因的不同变体导致与不同味觉能力、偏好和个性特征相关的不同蛋白质的表达。这构成了味觉及其感知的遗传基础。
Interestingly, sensory science divides people into supertasters, medium-tasters, and non-tasters. The TAS2R38 gene, located on chromosome 7, provides the genetic basis for taster status (Figure 2).
有趣的是，感官科学将人们分为超味觉者、中味觉者和非味觉者。位于7号染色体上的TAS2R38基因提供了味觉者分类的遗传基础（图2）。
Supertasters are defined as individuals with uncommonly low gustatory thresholds and strong responses to moderate concentrations of taste stimuli (Supertaster – APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). Supertasters have an unusually high number of taste buds. This gene in supertasters increases their perception of bitter flavors in foods.
超味觉者被定义为具有异常低的味觉阈值和对中等浓度味觉刺激物产生强烈反应的人（“Supertaster – APA心理学词典”，无日期）。超味觉者拥有异常多的味蕾。这种基因变异使得超味觉者对食物中的苦味感知更为强烈。
基因的不同变体导致与不同味觉能力、偏好和个性特征相关的不同蛋白质的表达。
For example, supertasters tend to find the taste of coffee to be very bitter. In relation to personality characteristics, studies have found that supertasters and medium-tasters tend to be more tense, apprehensive, and imaginative than non-tasters, while non-tasters are inclined to be more relaxed, placid, and practical (Mascie-Taylor et al., 1983).
例如，超味觉者往往觉得咖啡的味道非常苦。在个性特征方面，研究发现，超味觉者和中味觉者往往比非味觉者更加紧张、忧虑和富有想象力，而非味觉者则倾向于更加放松、平静和务实（Mascie-Taylor等人，1983）。
Science also reveals a genetic basis for sweet liking, identified by a locus on chromosome 16 (Figure 2). Researchers divide the population into three categories related to the liking for sweetness: sweet-likers, sweet-neutral, and sweet dislikers. Regarding differences in the preferences for sweetness, studies have shown that these differences predicted intentions, prosocial personalities, and behaviors (Meier et al., 2012).
科学还揭示了喜欢甜味的遗传基础，这由16号染色体上的一个位点决定（图2）。研究人员根据对甜味的喜好将人群分为三类：喜欢甜味者、对甜味无感者和不喜欢甜味者。关于对甜味偏好的差异，研究表明，这些差异可以预测个体的意图、亲社会个性和行为（Meier等人，2012）。
Figure 2. The five taste sensations. The genetic basis for sweet liking is identified by chromosome 16, while chromosome 7 provides the genetic basis for taster status
图2. 五种基本味觉。喜欢甜味的遗传基础由16号染色体决定，而7号染色体则提供了味觉者分类的遗传基础
It is important to note that in addition to our genes, our biochemical makeup also plays a role in our food perception and preference. For example, one study showed that salivary testosterone levels correlated with the amount of spice (Tabasco in this case) that participants chose to add to their food (Bègue et al., 2015).
值得注意的是，除了基因外，我们的生化构成也在食物感知和偏好中发挥作用。例如，一项研究表明，唾液中的睾酮水平与参与者选择添加到食物中的香料量（在这种情况下是塔巴斯科辣酱）呈正相关（Bègue等人，2015）。
Now that we’re aware of the genetic (and biochemical) basis for taste perception and preference, and learned how our genes can influence personality, let’s look at how personality can influence food preference.
既然我们已经了解了味觉感知和偏好的遗传（和生化）基础，并学习了基因如何影响个性，接下来让我们看看个性如何影响食物偏好。
Personality and Food Preference
个性与食物偏好
Regarding food preferences, key factors of a person’s personality, including openness to experience (i.e., curiosity vs. caution), have been found to correlate with various aspects of food preference. For example, in a study by Conner et al. (2017), people with personality attributes like openness scored above average on preference for new food experiences. The controversy associated with such research, however, is that it has largely been conducted using self-rated food preferences, not in settings with actual food choices.
在食物偏好方面，一个人的个性的关键因素，包括对新体验的开放性（即好奇心与谨慎之间的平衡），已被发现与食物偏好的各个方面相关。例如，在Conner等人（2017）的研究中，具有开放性等个性特征的人在喜欢新食物体验方面的得分高于平均水平。然而，这类研究的一个争议点是，它们大多是通过自我评估的食物偏好来进行的，而不是在实际选择食物的环境中进行的。
个性与食物偏好的关键因素
Many studies have addressed this issue. For example, a 2016 study analyzed participants’ willingness to try new foods. In this study, bite-sized pieces of twelve food items were placed in front of each participant (these included: octopus, hearts of palm, seaweed, soya bean milk, blood sausage, Chinese sweet rice cake, pickled watermelon rind, raw fish, quail egg, star fruit, sheep milk cheese, and black beans). Findings showed that the most anxious participants were the least willing to try new foods (Otis, 2016). This has been supported by other publications showing that anxious patients exhibit greater food aversions (Spence, 2021).
许多研究已经探讨了这个问题。例如，2016年的一项研究分析了参与者尝试新食物的意愿。在这项研究中，研究人员在每个参与者面前放置了十二种食物的小块样品（包括：章鱼、棕榈芯、海藻、豆浆、血肠、中国甜年糕、腌西瓜皮、生鱼片、鹌鹑蛋、杨桃、羊奶酪和黑豆）。研究结果表明，最焦虑的参与者最不愿意尝试新食物（Otis，2016）。这一发现得到了其他研究的支持，这些研究表明焦虑患者表现出更强的食物厌恶（Spence，2021）。
最焦虑的参与者最不愿意尝试新食物
Taste Perception and its Influence on Mood and Behavior
味觉感知及其对情绪和行为的影响
Now that we’ve explored some interconnections between genes, taste perception, and personality, let’s see how taste perception can influence our mood and behaviors. An example study by Vi and Obrist (2018) showed that those experiencing a sour taste were more likely engage in risk-taking. This was measured using the standardized Balloon Analogue Risk-Taking (BART) task, a computerized gambling task. Participants were asked to virtually pump up a balloon on a computer screen, with an accumulated monetary reward at stake. After each pump, the balloon either explodes or increases in size based on a randomized algorithm, yielding greater reward. Participants who had tasted something sour (as compared to a neutral water stimulus) were more likely to keep inflating the virtual balloon, risking the loss of the reward.
既然我们已经探讨了基因、味觉感知和个性之间的一些相互联系，接下来让我们看看味觉感知如何影响我们的情绪和行为。Vi和Obrist（2018）的一项研究就是一个很好的例子，该研究表明，体验酸味的人更有可能进行冒险行为。这一结论是通过标准化的气球模拟风险承担（BART）任务来衡量的，这是一个计算机化的赌博任务。参与者被要求在计算机屏幕上虚拟地给气球充气，同时累积金钱奖励。每次充气后，气球要么根据随机算法爆炸，要么增大，从而获得更大的奖励。与接受中性水刺激的参与者相比，那些品尝了酸味物质的参与者更有可能继续给虚拟气球充气，从而冒着失去奖励的风险。
A study exploring the interrelation between taste perception and mood (Chan et al., 2013) showed that tasting something sweet made people feel temporarily more romantic. And that by having people remember an episode of romantic love, they would report some foods as being sweeter than did those who were asked to recall a jealous memory.
另一项探讨味觉感知与情绪之间关系的研究（Chan等人，2013）表明，品尝甜味食物会让人暂时感觉更加浪漫。研究人员让参与者回忆一段浪漫的爱情经历，这些参与者报告说某些食物比那些被要求回忆嫉妒记忆的参与者感觉更甜。
In another study by Ren et al., (2014), researchers exposed a group of participants to the sweet taste of Oreo cookies. This exposure resulted in a greater interest in initiating relationships with a potential partner.
Ren等人（2014）的另一项研究则揭示了甜味对人际关系的影响。研究人员让一组参与者品尝奥利奥饼干的甜味。这种甜味体验导致参与者对与潜在伴侣建立关系的兴趣增加。
A study by Greimel et al., (2006) found that prompting people to remember being mistreated at work resulted in bitter tastes being rated as more intense, while watching a joyful film clip (compared to a sad movie clip) resulted in participants rating a sweet drink as more pleasant.
Greimel等人（2006）的研究揭示了情绪状态对味觉感知的显著影响。该研究发现，当引导人们回忆在工作中受到的不公待遇时，他们会对苦味食物的感知更为强烈，认为其味道更加苦涩。相反，当参与者观看一段令人愉悦的电影片段（与观看悲伤电影片段相比）时，他们会更倾向于将甜饮料评价为更加美味。
Taste Perception and Clinical Disorders
味觉感知与临床疾病
Some research on taste perception in the context of mental health shows that depressed patients have differences in perception of taste. While some studies have reported no difference in taste perception in depressed patients (Arrando, 2015; Nagai, et al., 2015), researchers Hur et al. (2018) found that the prevalence of altered smell and taste among patients with major depressive disorder was 39.8% and 23.7% respectively.
在心理健康的背景下，对味觉感知的研究表明，抑郁症患者存在味觉感知上的差异。尽管一些研究（如Arrando, 2015; Nagai等人, 2015）报告了抑郁症患者与正常人在味觉感知上没有显著差异，但Hur等人（2018）的研究发现，在患有重度抑郁症的患者中，嗅觉和味觉改变的发生率分别为39.8%和23.7%。
These changes in taste perception are hypothesized to be due to several mechanisms, but one mechanism seems to involve neurochemical changes that happen in our brain due to either emotional or pathological processes (e.g., depression leads to elevation of inflammatory cytokines like interleukin 6). These changes can result in actual changes in the gustatory system.
这些味觉感知的变化被认为是由多种机制引起的，其中一个重要机制涉及大脑中由于情感或病理过程（如抑郁症导致的炎症细胞因子如白介素6水平升高）而发生的神经化学变化。这些变化可能会导致味觉系统的实际改变。
It is hypothesized that changed taste thresholds could be attributed to reduced serotonin and noradrenaline levels in depressed patients, as suggested by Heath et al. (2006) (Figure 3). This proposed mechanism was supported by another study (Kim et al., 2017), which found reduced expression of 5‐HT1A receptors for serotonin in the taste cells of rats that developed anhedonia — a common symptom of depression. Case reports demonstrate that a change in taste is a neglected symptom in depressed patients that is worthy of further investigation (Miller & Naylor, 1989; Mizoguchi et al., 2012).
Heath等人（2006）提出的假设认为，抑郁症患者味觉阈值的变化可能与血清素（5-羟色胺）和去甲肾上腺素水平的降低有关（如图3所示）。这一机制得到了Kim等人（2017）的研究支持，他们发现，在出现快感缺失（抑郁症的一个常见症状）的大鼠中，其味觉细胞中的5-HT1A血清素受体表达减少。此外，病例报告也表明，味觉改变是抑郁症患者中被忽视的一个症状，值得进一步深入研究（Miller & Naylor, 1989; Mizoguchi等人, 2012）。
Figure 3. Human gustatory pathway. Variations in serotonin levels are associated with different thresholds for certain tastes like bitter and sweet (Heath, 2006).
图3. 人类味觉通路。血清素水平的变化与某些味觉（如苦和甜）的阈值变化相关联（Heath, 2006）。
Research also shows that patients with panic disorders can have exhibited reduced sensitivity to bitterness (DeMet et al., 1989), while anxiety levels are positively correlated with the taste thresholds for bitterness and saltiness (Heath et al., 2006).
研究还表明，惊恐障碍患者对苦味的敏感性可能会降低(DeMet et al.， 1989)，而焦虑水平与苦味和咸味的味觉阈值呈正相关(Heath et al.， 2006)。
According to Hur et al. (2018), it may be advisable for primary care providers to screen their patients for depression or other psychiatric conditions when they report changes in taste or smell.
根据Hur等人(2018)的研究，当患者报告味觉或嗅觉发生变化时，建议初级保健提供者筛查患者是否患有抑郁症或其他精神疾病。
Conclusion
结论
In this article, we’ve had a little ‘taste’ of how our genes influence our taste perception and preferences. The DMHR plot thickens when we begin to be aware of how these perceptions and preferences can interplay with our personality, mood, and behaviors (figure 4).
在这篇文章中，我们对基因如何影响我们的味觉和偏好有了一点“了解”。当我们开始意识到这些感知和偏好如何与我们的个性、情绪和行为相互作用时，DMHR的情节就会变得更加复杂(图4)。
Figure 4. Interconnections between genes, taste perception, and preference, behaviors, personality, and mood.
图4. 基因、味觉感知与偏好、行为、个性与情绪之间的相互联系
For example, we learned how anxious individuals can prefer a narrower range of food while people with personality attributes like openness typically score above average on preferences for new food experiences. Intriguingly, differences in food behavior and taste perception have been linked with circulating levels of certain neurotransmitters like serotonin and can affect taste perception in clinical disorders.
例如，我们了解到焦虑的个体往往偏好更为有限的食物种类，而那些具有开放性等个性特征的人则在新食物体验的偏好上通常得分高于平均水平。这揭示了个性特征对食物选择的重要影响。更有趣的是，食物行为和味觉感知的差异与体内某些神经递质（如血清素）的循环水平密切相关，这些差异在临床疾病中也可能对味觉感知产生影响。
While not lending to a conclusive understanding of the factors involved in dietary intake, our goal with this article is to provide you with a new awareness of the interconnection that occurs between your genes, personality, emotions, and food-related behaviors and preferences.
尽管本文未能为饮食摄入所涉及的因素提供全面而确定的解释，但我们的目标是通过这篇文章，让您对基因、个性、情绪以及与食物相关的行为和偏好之间错综复杂的相互联系产生新的认识。
To learn more,
进一步学习
visit the CNP Diet and Personality and Diet and Sensory-Perception research categories in the NPRL.
访问NPRL中的CNP饮食与个性及饮食与感官感知研究分类
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