title: Bitter taster status predicts susceptibility to vection-induced motion sickness and nausea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sensitivity to bitter taste and susceptibility to nausea are both protective mechanisms that guard against toxin ingestion, and both these traits vary within and between populations. Thus, we postulated that they may have co-evolved, such that they are associated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bitter taster status was determined in 40 subjects (13 men, 27 women) by measuring the differential perceived taste intensity between salt and n-propylthiouracil using a labeled magnitude scale; susceptibility to vection-induced motion sickness and nausea was assessed using an optokinetic drum, a validated multi-symptom scoring scale, and electrogastrography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Taster status distribution was 25% non-tasters (NT), 40% tasters (T), and 35% supertasters (ST). Gender had no impact on this distribution, but females had a higher mean maximum symptom score than males (12.4 ± 1.4 vs 7.3 ± 2.0). Non-tasters displayed a faster and larger increase in mean symptom scores, had a higher percentage of subjects with high maximum symptom scores, and had a higher mean maximum score than T or ST, (14.8 ± 2.6 vs 7.1 ± 1.8, vs 9.8 ± 2.0). Taster status did not affect the gastric myoelectric frequency response to vection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-tasters are more susceptible to vection-induced motion sickness and nausea than T or ST, suggesting these two traits may have co-evolved in a reciprocal manner: in environments where the NT trait conferred an evolutionary advantage by enabling intake of fruits and vegetables containing bitter, yet beneficial, phytonutrients, increased nausea susceptibility may have arisen to maintain protection against ingested toxins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hooker
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Weinberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009325:Nausea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011441:Propylthiouracil; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011441:Propylthiouracil