Patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery often report changes in smell and taste.
The researchers believe these changes could actually help patients lose more weight, HealthDay reported
To make their findings the researchers looked at 103 British patients who had gastric bypass surgery (a procedure in which the stomach is made smaller and the intestine are shortened).
About 97 percent of these patients reported their appetite had changed following the surgery and 43 percent reported their sense of smell had been altered.
About 73 percent of the patients admitted their taste had changed, especially when it came to sweet and sour food items. The patients also reported in taste changes associated with "chicken, beef, pork, roast meat, lamb, sausages, fish, fast food, chocolate, greasy food, pasta and rice," HealthDay reported.
Three-quarters of patients reported developing new food dislikes, especially when it came to meat items. One-third started avoiding foods like "chicken, minced beef, beef steak, lamb, sausages, bacon or ham."
Twelve percent of the patients started to dislike starches or dairy items such as "cream, cheese, ice cream and eggs," HealthDay reported. Four percent developed a dislike of vegetables and three percent to fruit.
These new tastes were found to have an effect on weight loss. The patients who developed food aversions lost an average of 18 pounds more after the surgery when compared to those who did not report a change in taste or appetite following the surgery.
The study succeeded in finding a link between taste and weight loss following gastric bypass surgery, but did not establish a "cause-and-effect" relationship.
"The taste and smell changes experienced by many patients after weight-loss surgery may be due to a combination of gut hormone and central nervous system effects, according to lead author Lisa Graham, of the Leicester Royal Infirmary," HealthDay reported.
