Tug-of-war receptors for sour taste in fruit flies sheds light on human taste biology
Sour taste does not have the nearly universal appeal that sweet taste does. Slightly sour foods or drinks such as yogurt and lemon juice are yummy to many, but such highly sour foods as spoiled milk are yucky, even dangerous. Like humans, many other animals, including insects, prefer slightly acidic over very acidic foods. Evolutionary […]
Epigenetic mechanism that causes bitter taste distortion discovered
A bitter taste in the mouth is often a symptom or side effect of illness, which may be the result of how the body reacts to pathogens. A new study published in iScience, by Hong Wang, PhD, an Associate Member at the Monell Chemical Sense Center, and colleagues sheds light on the mechanisms involved in […]
Molecular basis for alkaline taste: Working with fruit flies, research informs how other species might detect and avoid high-pH or alkaline foods
The sense of taste is among the first to come into contact with food before we ingest it, but whether animals can taste basic or alkaline food and how they do it remained unclear until now. A research group led by Yali Zhang, PhD, Principal Investigator at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, recently addressed this […]
Early tastings shorten breastfeeding
The earlier infants begin to taste small samples of solid food, the earlier they eat more food and stop breastfeeding. This is shown in a new study from Uppsala University and Sophiahemmet University, in which the mothers of 1,251 infants from all over Sweden participated. Almost half of the infants received tastings at the age […]
Understanding the ‘eating just one potato chip is impossible’ gene: Scientists reveal genetic mechanism associated with high-calorie food-fueled obesity
High-calorie foods — high in fat, oil, and sugar — can taste good but often cause overeating, leading to obesity and major health problems. But what stimulates the brain to cause overeating? Recently, it has become clear that a gene called CREB-Regulated Transcription Coactivator 1 (CRTC1) is associated with obesity in humans. When CRTC1 is […]
Using new technique, researchers make surprising discoveries about how flies’ brains respond to tastes
Taste matters to fruit flies, just as it does to humans: like people, the flies tend to seek out and consume sweet-tasting foods and reject foods that taste bitter. However, little is known about how sweet and bitter tastes are represented by the brain circuits that link sensation to behavior. In a new study published […]
Smell, Taste Dysfunction May Persist in 27 Million COVID Cases
Long-lasting smell or taste dysfunction may affect about 27 million people globally who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection, a meta-analysis with parametric cure modeling showed. An estimated 5.6% and 4.4% of COVID-19 patients may develop persistent self-reported smell and taste dysfunction, respectively, representing 15 million and 12 million cases worldwide as of July 2022, reported Song […]
Taste sensors keep proteins in order in flies: New role for adult proteins in development
A set of genes that promote sweet taste sensation is also crucial for protein management during fly development, according to a new study by Eugenia Piddini of the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and colleagues, publishing July 21stin the open-access journal PLOS Biology. The finding expands the understanding of a key process in successful development, […]
Hot vs. Iced Coffee: Is One Better For You Than The Other?
When it comes to iced versus hot coffee, conversations usually focus on personal taste. But what about health? Do the two versions of coffee affect the human body differently, and are the differences stark enough to warrant permanent changes in your caffeine consumption? To find out, HuffPost spoke with Dr. Majid Basit, a cardiologist with […]
Taste buds can adapt to low salt diet
A taste adaptation intervention lowers salt intake and increases enjoyment of a sodium restricted diet in patients with hypertension, according to a small study presented at ACNAP-EuroHeartCare Congress 2022, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 “One of the major barriers to sticking to a low salt diet is that people do […]