---
title: Does sweet taste preference change with depression during the menstrual cycle?
description: In women during their luteal phase, those with higher depression symptoms needed more sugar to taste sweetness. This connection happened only in the luteal ph
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sweet-taste-threshold-for-sucrose-inversely-correlates-with-depression-symptoms-2015/
---

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- Does sweet taste preference change with depression during the menstrual cycle?

Survey study, 2015

# Does sweet taste preference change with depression during the menstrual cycle?

In women during their luteal phase, those with higher depression symptoms needed more sugar to taste sweetness. This connection happened only in the luteal phase, not at other times.

 Early or limited evidence

40 female college students

## What they did

40 college women identified when they could taste sugar at different concentrations, completed depression and anxiety assessments, and noted which phase of their menstrual cycle they were in. Results were compared to men and women in the follicular phase.

## What they found

In women in the luteal phase, the sweet taste threshold was linked with depression and anxiety levels. Those with higher depression needed more sugar to taste sweetness. This link did not exist in women in the follicular phase or in men.

## What it means for you

The parts of the brain that handle emotions and taste may be connected and affected by hormones during the menstrual cycle. However, the study was small, did not follow women over time, and was done in a lab setting, so more research is needed.

40

female college students

-0.472

relationship between taste threshold and depression

-0.506

relationship between taste threshold and anxiety

## About the study

Original title Sweet taste threshold for sucrose inversely correlates with depression symptoms in female college students in the luteal phase Authors Nagai M, Matsumoto S, Endo J et al. Journal Physiology & behavior Year 2015 Study design Survey study Participants 40 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.01.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.01.003)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)

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