Metabolic HealthSweet Taste Receptors Beyond the Tongue Control Blood Sugar and Body Weight
Sweet taste receptors — T1R2 and T1R3 — do far more than detect sugar on the tongue. This review reveals they are expressed throughout metabolically active tissues in the body, where they directly regulate blood glucose and body weight. The sensitivity of these receptors varies between individuals based on genetic polymorphisms and is altered by hormones including leptin, ghrelin, and GLP-1. Critically, aging, diabetes, and obesity all change how sensitively these receptors respond to sweetness, which then shapes food choices and caloric intake in ways that may worsen metabolic disease. Interventions like caloric restriction, bariatric surgery, and anti-obesity drugs also shift sweet taste perception. The authors argue that T1R2/T1R3 pathways represent underexplored therapeutic targets for managing metabolic disease and obesity in aging populations.
