The Oral Microbiota–Taste Axis: Microbial Influences on Gustatory Perception and Food Sensory Experience

ABSTRACT

Taste is a key determinant of food choice and dietary behavior, yet differences in taste perception are often attributed mainly to genetic variation, taste receptor expression, and neural processing. Emerging evidence suggests that the oral microbiota may represent an additional, and largely overlooked, factor influencing gustatory perception. This review examines the potential role of oral microorganisms in shaping taste by bringing together current evidence from oral microbiology, taste physiology, and nutritional science. Particular attention is given to the close association between tongue‐associated microbial communities and taste buds, and to the potential effects of microbial biofilms, local pH changes, and microbial metabolites on the chemical environment surrounding taste receptors. The review further considers how these interactions may influence taste sensitivity, food preferences, dietary patterns, and, ultimately, metabolic health. Importantly, current evidence remains largely associative, and direct mechanistic links between specific microorganisms, microbial metabolites, and taste receptor function are still poorly defined. We therefore highlight key methodological and knowledge gaps and discuss emerging opportunities for dietary modulation, oral probiotics, and microbiome‐informed approaches. Understanding this oral microbiota–taste axis may provide a new perspective on taste variability and its nutritional consequences.