| Differences
in a person's sense of taste might have a major impact on that person's
health, say medical researchers at Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
One out of four people are "super-tasters," or are especially
sensitive to bitterness, and might normally avoid cancer fighting
fruits and vegetables such as brussel sprouts and spinach. Female
super-tasters are less keen on sugar and fat than other women and
are on average the thinnest group. Male super-tasters prefer fatty,
sugary foods. The researchers found that genetic variations give
super -tasters more tiny, mushroom-shaped knobs on their tongues
called "fungiform papillae" than others. Having a lot
more of these knobs puts super-tasters "in a much larger taste
world than others," says researcher Linda Bartoshuk. This super-trait
might originally have evolved as a defense mechanism, because most
bitter-tasting substances are to some degree toxic. However, super-tasting
as a consequence could also keep a person from eating healthy foods.
Bartoshuk says further research on the human genome will probably
yield a simple blood test for taste sensitivity that could help
people pay closer attention to their diets. The researchers presented
their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco |
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