Sugar, Salt, and Fat. What Drives Preference?

The taste system is a gatekeeper for food consumption. No natural poison is sweet. Sugar is one component of breast milk, which has been described as nature's perfect food. All humans have an affinity for sweet, which is rewarding to the human brain via dopaminergic pathways, with individual differences based on brain chemistry influencing substance-seeking behavior. Repeated exposure to sugar actually increases the desire to consume it, unlike the satiety response to most other foods. 

Unlike sugar, salt is non-caloric. Humans need salt to survive thus our desire for it is grounded in evolutionary history. Addiction to salt and variance in salt sensitivity is much less understood relative to sweet, savory, bitter, and sour. Babies do not enjoy salt until about 2 or 3 years of age. Cravings for salt are not inherent but have likely been created by the food industry, using sodium for its functional, flavor-enhancing, and preservative properties. 

Salt makes sugar taste sweeter, so very often these ingredients are used together to maximize the reward potential of foods. Low-sodium versions of food add more sugar, and sugar-free versions require more salt. Humans perceive a thrilling effect from the combination of sweet and salty, light and dark, and crunchy with silky, a concept known as dynamic contrast. The more multisensory the food is, the more likely the person is to crave it. The crunching of an Oreo creates a very novel effect that can release brain opioids and therefore stimulate reward. The trigeminal nerve hovers above and behind the mouth to differentiate between sandy and smooth, sensing variations in texture that are heavily influenced by fat content. 

Much like other addictions, it is likely that food addiction is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Chronic exposure to sugar, salt, and fat during childhood is likely to have significant impact on adulthood preference since the developing brain of a child is marked by heightened excitement. The irresistible yet toxic food environment created by the food industry is likely to have the most significant effect. Meanwhile, the influence of genetics on personal preference for sugar vs. salt vs. fat is a topic that clearly warrants further investigation.   

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