Children genetically predisposed to favor sugary foods may lose their “sweet tooth” as adults, a finding that could explain why children may be at odds with their parents over food choices, researchers said on Monday.

Scientists were aware that common variations in a certain gene can increase a child’s desire for sweets and heighten sensitivity to bitter tastes.

But a study of 143 children and their mothers concluded the sweet tooth wears off in adulthood as food preferences are overridden by experience and cultural influences.

“These findings help to explain some obstacles that parents face when negotiating with children about food choices,” study author Julie Mennella and colleagues from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia wrote in the journal Pediatrics.

More than two-thirds of children in the study - 68 percent - had at least one of the two gene variations that led to a preference for sugar.