Does calcium consumption influence salty taste perception?

描述(申请人提供)：饮食中的钙对大鼠的食盐(氯化钠)口味偏好有深远的影响，但这一发现是否适用于人类？这项建议的目标是评估补充钙的人类在口味偏好和食物选择方面的变化。这项拟议的研究将包括两个部分：在第一部分中，大约500名受试者的钙摄入量和其他饮食选择将与他们对咸、甜和钙的口味偏好进行比较。在第二部分中，将对大约120名长期钙摄入量较低的高加索人和非裔美国人进行双盲随机安慰剂对照研究。每组中有一半的受试者将在12周内每天补充1200毫克钙+维生素D。结果衡量标准将是对咸味、甜味和钙味偏好的心理物理评估，以及根据饮食记录进行的食物选择评估。这项实验将确定增加钙摄入量是否以及何时影响(A)口味偏好和(B)食物选择。对这一现象的严格演示将为随后的研究奠定基础，以阐明涉及的边界条件和生理机制。它还将突出一种新的和直接的方法来降低一些人对盐的渴望，导致改善高血压和其他因过量食用盐而加剧的慢性病

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dietary calcium has a profound influence on the salt (sodium chloride) taste preferences of rats but does this finding translate to humans? The goal of this proposal is to assess the changes in taste preferences and food choices of humans given supplemental calcium to consume. The proposed study will involve two components: In the first component, the calcium intakes and other diet choices of ~500 subjects will be compared with their salty, sweet and calcium taste preferences. In the second component, a double-blind randomized placebo- controlled study will be conducted using ~120 Caucasian and African-American men and women with low chronic calcium intakes. Half the subjects in each group will consume a daily supplement of 1200 mg calcium + vitamin D for 12 weeks. Outcome measures will be psychophysical assessments of salty, sweet and calcium taste preferences, and food choice assessments made from diet records. This experiment will determine whether and when increasing calcium consumption influences (a) taste preferences, and (b) food choices. A rigorous demonstration of the phenomenon will set the stage for subsequent studies to elucidate the boundary conditions and physiological mechanisms involved. It will also highlight a novel and straightforward method to reduce some individual's avidity for salt, leading to the amelioration of hypertension and other chronic diseases that are exacerbated by salt overconsumption