Preference for and sensitivity to flavanol mean degree of polymerization in model wines is correlated with body composition

Bitterness and astringency (dryness) are characteristic sensory attributes of flavanol-rich foods. The degree of polymerization (DP) of flavanols influences their bitter and astringent sensations. Smaller DP compounds can enter the papillae on the tongue, eliciting a bitter response. Larger DP compounds are sterically inhibited from entering papillae and instead interact with oral proteins, cause precipitation, and elicit astringent sensations....