Toddlers who can easily detect bitter tastes are less likely to eat their greens, according to a new study.
The findings may explain why some young children refuse point blank to eat vegetables, according to the study authors in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Scientists have already identified a gene that controls a receptor for bitter flavour, and a study published last year found that children with certain variations of that gene are particularly sensitive tasters.
The new analysis involved 65 pre-school children tasting water containing a small amount of a bitter-tasting compound. A total of 37 per cent of them said that the water tasted bad and the remainder said that they couldn’t taste anything.
The children were then offered a range of bitter-tasting vegetables such as broccoli, olives and cucumbers, as well as sweeter types including carrots and red peppers. Those who had been sensitive to the water containing the bitter compound ate significantly fewer bitter vegetables.
Only 8 per cent of non-taster children refused all of the vegetables, while 32 per cent of the sensitive tasters refused to try any of them.
