I think that anything that affects the brain can affect one's tastes. My son was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 16. They weren't sure how long it had been there, but they think perhaps since birth and during puberty the hormones caused it to grow. It was the size of a robin's egg and put pressure on his hypothalamus which affected his vision, sense of smell, taste, and cause him to be dizzy and nauseous at times. It was inoperable and was eventually treated with radiation that caused it to shrink and disappear, but he still has the mindset of a 12 year old boy in many aspects, such as his food tastes. He will not try new things and has a limited mindset on what foods he will eat, such as only Iceberg lettuce (no Romaine, green leaf, etc. in his salads), prefers to eat boxed macaroni and cheese and pizza, etc.
He is able to work and drive, and is somewhat self-sufficient, but his social skills are awkward and he really prefers to be alone. He was such a chatty and gregarious boy before he hit his teenage years. He is 34 now. The doctor likened his current condition to that of someone who has mild autism and it's never going to change, unfortunately.
