Variations in oral responsiveness associate with specific signatures in the gut microbiota and modulate dietary habits

•Hypo- and hyperresponsive individuals to oral sensations in foods are identified.•Higher gut microbial richness and evenness associate with oral hyporesponsiveness.•Proinflammatory gut microbes associate with oral hyperresponsiveness.•Oral responsiveness and gut microbial ecology mirror dietary intakes.•Putative mutualistic interplays between taste and gut microbiota are discussed.