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ZTV Akron
Apr 26, 20205 min read

The Science Behind: Taste | 300 seconds of science

General Manager: Juan Contreras

Producer: Nicole Maxhimer

Author: Grace Thanasiu

 

Hey, there science lovers! I hope you’re all in good health and following the advice of scientists around the world by practicing social distancing and good hygiene to avoid further spread of the COVID-19 virus.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably finding that the ultimate comfort during these strange and anxiety-inducing times is food. Whether that means preparing a favorite family recipe or entertaining yourself by attempting to cook a meal you’ve only seen in the movies, food can do more than simply replenish our bodies with nutrients, it can be a critical source of emotional comfort. Arguably the best aspect of food is how it tastes. But have you ever really thought about all the science behind why certain foods taste the way they do or how we perceive flavors?

As we all know, food is essential because it provides our bodies with energy through several nutrients found in a variety of foods. Taste sensations exist in order for our bodies to process what type of nutrient it is receiving when we eat any given food substance. Numerous scientific studies included in the United States National Library of Medicine have identified five basic types of taste sensations: sweet, salty, savory, sour, and bitter. Each of these tastes reflects different nutrients our bodies need or help identify potential threats to the body.

 

Sweet

Sweetness signifies the presence of natural sugars like fructose that are found in fruits and root vegetables, which our bodies can use for energy as well as being a great source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.




Salt

Saltiness signifies the presence of sodium and chloride, which are essential chemicals that the human body needs to do many physiological processes, such as muscle contraction or the maintenance of bacteria in the stomach. Our bodies don’t naturally store sodium or chloride well, so that’s why we crave the taste of salt to ensure we are eating food substances that supply our bodies with those chemicals.

Savory

Savory tastes, which are often found in foods like meat and cheese, signify the presence of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Human bodies need protein because it is important for the building up of bone, muscle, cartilage, skin, and blood tissue.

Sour

Sourness signifies the presence of acid in food substances, which makes it a bit of a confusing taste. On the one hand, a sour taste sensation can be a warning sign that food has gone bad due to the excess growth of bacteria.

Your lips pucker and your eyes squint up as your body's way of rejecting the food substance. On the other hand, sour tasting foods such as citrus fruits or fermented products like yogurt, sauerkraut, or kombucha offer many health benefits, including being a source of fructose, protein, and vitamins and minerals. Scientists are still not entirely sure why some healthy foods trigger a sour taste reaction since that reaction probably evolved as a survival mechanism against spoiled food.


Bitter

Similarly, bitter tastes are baffling. Scientists suspect that humans first began to detect bitter flavors as a means of identifying plants with poisonous properties. However, there are many food substances with bitter-tasting compounds that provide health benefits. For example, cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts get their bitter flavor from compounds called glucosinolates, which scientists have suggested may reduce the growth of cancerous cells in humans.

 

Now that we understand how each of the five basic tastes can reflect nutrients the body needs or poisons it wishes to avoid, lettuce (see what I did there?) discuss how the tongue and brain work together to help us perceive taste.

As you might have guessed, the heavy lifters in the tasting process are your taste buds. Most people have up to 4,000 taste buds located on the top and sides of the tongue as well as in the back of the mouth and throat. Taste buds are found in little bumps on the tongue called papillae. Each bud in the papillae is made up of around 10 to 15 cells with little pores at the top of each called taste pores. When taste molecules come in contact with the tongue, they attach themselves to these taste pores to be analyzed.

From there, signals are transmitted and processed by cranial nerves to different parts of the brain where they can be interpreted as one of or a combination of any of the five basic tastes. Some signals go to the ventral forebrain where they may trigger areas that control emotions and memories, which explains why certain food flavors can evoke memories.




Before we wrap up (I guess this could be considered a food pun), it’s worth mentioning and what you're probably all wondering, "what about spicy?.

spicy

spicy or “hot” sensations from foods like peppers are not actually a taste. Instead, a chemical compound called capsaicin that is found in spicy foods is able to bind to vanilloid receptors in the mouth that are there to help detect the temperature of foods. Because the capsaicin is able to trigger the vanilloid receptors, the perceived burning sensation that accompanies eating spicy foods is really a trick of the body. That’s why spicy foods make you sweat and reach for water; your brain thinks your mouth is being exposed to a dangerously high temperature.


That’s about it for this unconventional installment of 300 Seconds of Science. Did it take you exactly five minutes to read this entire blog post? Let us know by tweeting us at @300SecofScience. If you're looking for more scientific information head on over to our youtube channel, give us a like on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and send us some love on Instagram. This was Grace Thanasiu and in the meantime, don’t go out, try to enjoy life, and in addition to staying at home, stay curious!

 

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Author:

Grace Thanasiu

Political Science and History Major

 

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