“The candy left him with a bad taste”; “Melon tasted delicious” A study examining the relationship between taste perception and mood (Chan et al., 2013) showed that trying something sweet temporarily made people more romantic. And remembering an episode of romantic love, people would describe certain foods as sweeter than those who were asked to remember a jealous memory. ^ Some differences in values are not uncommon between different studies. Such discrepancies can result from a number of methodological variables, from sample selection to analysis and interpretation. In fact, there is a “plethora of methods”[127] In fact, the taste index of 1, assigned to reference substances such as sucrose (for sweetness), hydrochloric acid (for acidity), quinine (for bitterness) and sodium chloride (for salinity), is arbitrary, even for practical purposes. [55] Bitter taste is perceived by many as unpleasant, vivid or unpleasant. Evolutionary biologists have suggested that an aversion to bitter substances may have developed as a defense mechanism against accidental poisoning. Common bitter foods and beverages include coffee, unsweetened chocolate, bitter melon, beer, undried olives, citrus peel, many plants of the Brassicaceae family, dandelion leaves, and escaroles. Quinine is also known for its bitter taste and is found in tonic water. (Although it must be said that “coffee” has different types such as robusta and arabica; and can be quite sweet compared to the region in which it was grown.) The salty taste (known as “umami” in Japanese) was identified by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who reports the presence of the amino acid L-glutamate, triggering a pleasant reaction and thus promoting the absorption of peptides and proteins. The amino acids in proteins are used in the body to build muscles and organs, transport molecules (hemoglobin), antibodies and organic catalysts called enzymes. These are all critical molecules, and as such, it is important to have a regular supply of amino acids, hence the pleasant response to their presence in the mouth.
It is also important to keep in mind that taste is the total sensation induced during chewing (e.g., taste, touch, pain, and smell). Smell (olfactory stimulation) plays an important role in the perception of taste. This simple, non-technical book provides informative discussions about basic tastes and how genetic and experiential factors can influence taste preferences and influence diet and health. The book`s ability to captivate the reader can come at the expense of complete accuracy. Figure 4. Links between genes, perception and taste preference, behavior, personality and mood. Kokumi (k/uˈkuːmi/, Japanese: kokumi (コク味)[95] from koku (こく)[95]) is translated as “hearty”, “full of taste” or “rich” and describes compounds in foods that do not taste their own, but in combination enhance properties. At the forefront of the taste detection system are taste buds – onion-like structures on the tongue and elsewhere in the mouth (Figure 1). Up to 100 taste receptor cells – epithelial cells with certain neuronal properties – are arranged in each taste bud. In the tongue, the taste buds are innervated by the tympani chord (a branch of the facial nerve) and the glossopharyngeal nerve. These nerves transmit taste messages to the brain. Ren, D., Tan, K., Arriaga, X.
B., & Chan, K. Q. (2014). Sweet love: The effects of experiencing sweet taste on romantic perceptions. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1177/0265407514554512, 32(7), 905-921. doi.org/10.1177/0265407514554512 There are at least two common misconceptions about taste perception. The first is that sweet is perceived at the tip of the tongue, salt along the posterolateral edges, acidic at the mid-sided edges and bitter at the back of the tongue. This arrangement was first proposed in 1901 by Deiter Hanig, who measured taste thresholds for NaCl, sucrose, quinine and hydrochloric acid (HCl). Hanig never said that other regions of the tongue are insensitive to these chemicals, but only indicated which regions are most sensitive. People who miss the anterior part of their tongue (or who have facial nerve damage) can still taste sweet and salty stimuli.
In fact, all of these tastes can be detected over the entire surface of the tongue (Figure 15.11A). However, different regions of the language have different thresholds. Since the tip of the tongue responds better to sweet-tasting compounds and these compounds produce pleasant sensations, information from this region activates eating behavior such as mouth movements, saliva secretion, insulin release and swallowing. On the other hand, reactions to bitter substances are indeed stronger on the back of the tongue. Activation of this region by bitter-tasting substances triggers tongue protrusion and other protective reactions that prevent ingestion. The sour tasting compounds trigger grimaces, wrinkle reactions, and massive secretion of saliva to dilute the tasty. Physiologist John DeSimone (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA) states that there are at least two ionic receptors for salt in rodent taste receptor cells. The first of these is the epithelial sodium channel, a widely used channel that can be specifically blocked with the drug amiloride. In rats, DeSimone says, only 75 percent of the nerve response to salt can be blocked by amiloride, so there`s likely a second receptor. This, he says, appears to be a generalist salt receptor — the amiloride-sensitive channel only responds to sodium chloride — and may be the most important receptor in humans. It is important to note that in addition to our genes, our biochemical composition also plays a role in the perception and preference of our diet. For example, one study showed that salivary testosterone levels correlated with the amount of spices (Tabasco in this case) that participants added to their diet (Bègue et al., 2015).
Other possible fat taste receptors have been identified. GPR120 and GPR40 G protein-coupled receptors have been associated with fat taste because their absence has resulted in decreased preference for two types of fatty acids (linoleic acid and oleic acid) as well as decreased neuronal response to oral fatty acids. [89] In another study by Ren et al. (2014), researchers exposed a group of participants to the sweet taste of Oreo cookies. This exposure led to a greater interest in building relationships with a potential partner. The sour taste is recognized by a small subset of cells distributed over all the taste buds of the tongue. Acid taste cells can be identified by the expression of the PKD2L1 protein[26], although this gene is not necessary for acid reactions. There is evidence that protons, which are abundant in acidic substances, can enter acidic taste cells directly through apical-located ion channels. [27] In 2018, the proton-elective ion channel otopetrin 1 (Otop1) was associated as the main mediator of this proton influx. [28] This transfer of positive charge in the cell can itself trigger an electrical response.
It has also been suggested that weak acids such as acetic acid, which is not completely dissociated at physiological pH levels, can enter taste cells and thus cause an electrical response. According to this mechanism, intracellular hydrogen ions inhibit potassium channels, which normally hyperpolarize the cell. Through a combination of direct absorption of hydrogen ions (which in turn depolarize the cell) and inhibition of the hyperpolarizing channel, the acid causes the taste cell to trigger action potentials and release neurotransmitters. [29] A second misconception about taste perception is that there are only four “primary” flavours: salty, sweet, sour and bitter. If this were true, then all tastes could be represented as a combination of these “primaries”. Although these four flavors actually represent different perceptions, this classification is obviously limited. People experience a variety of additional taste sensations, including astringency (cranberries and tea), spiciness (hot peppers and ginger), fat, starch, and various metallic tastes (to name a few). However, none of them fall into these four categories. In addition, some cultures consider other tastes to be “primary”.
For example, the Japanese consider the taste of monosodium glutamate to be different from that of salt and even give it a different name (“umami”, which means delicious).
