The simplest joy in human life is delicious food. It would seem that you go to the kitchen, open the refrigerator, spend some time at the stove - and voila! - fragrant dish already on the table, and endorphins in my head. However, from the point of view of science, the entire meal from and to develops into a complex multifaceted process. And how difficult it is sometimes for us to explain our eating habits!

The study of taste buds is engaged in a young and still developing science - the physiology of taste. Let us examine some of the basic postulates of the doctrine, which will help to better understand our taste preferences and momentary weaknesses.

human taste buds

Taste is one of the five senses of perception, which are very important for human life. The main role of taste is to select and evaluate food and drink. Other senses also help him in this, especially the sense of smell.

The mechanism of taste is driven by chemicals found in food and drink. Chemical particles, gathering in the mouth, turn into nerve impulses that are transmitted along the nerves to the brain, where they are decoded. The surface of the human tongue is covered with taste buds, which in an adult have from 5 to 10 thousand. With age, their number decreases, which can cause certain problems with distinguishing tastes. The papillae, in turn, contain taste buds, which have a certain set of receptors, thanks to which we feel the whole gamut of taste diversity.

They only respond to 4 basic tastes - sweet, bitter, salty and sour. However, today the fifth one is often singled out - minds. The homeland of the newcomer is Japan, and in translation from the local language it means "appetizing taste". In fact, umami is the taste of proteins. The umami sensation is created by monosodium glutamate and other amino acids. Umami is an important flavor component of Roquefort and Parmesan cheeses, soy sauce, as well as other non-fermented products - walnut, tomato, broccoli, mushrooms, thermally processed meat.

Thus, recently scientists tend to think that some people perceive the same taste differently and that some people are programmed to gain weight from french fries, while others can eat it without harm to the figure - this is a matter of heredity. In support of this statement, scientists from Duke University in the USA, together with colleagues from Norway, proved that people have different composition odor genes. The study focused on the relationship of the OR7D4 RT gene to a steroid called androstenone, which is found in large quantities in pork. So, people with the same copies of this gene are disgusted by the smell of this steroid, and the owners of two different copies of the genes (OR7D4 RT and OR7D4 WM), on the contrary, do not feel any hostility.

Interesting facts about tastes

• Taste buds on the human tongue live an average of 7-10 days, then die and new ones appear. So don't be surprised if the same taste seems slightly different from time to time.

• About 15-25% of people in the world can safely be called "supertasters", that is, they have an extremely sensitive taste, as there are more papillae on the tongue, and therefore more taste buds.

• The taste buds on the human tongue for sweet and bitter tastes were discovered only 10 years ago.

• All pure tastes are felt by a person in exactly the same way. This means that you can not talk about several types of sweet taste. In terms of taste, there is just one sweet taste, which, however, can vary in intensity: be brighter, richer or faded. The same is true for other flavors.

• Taste buds are most sensitive between 20-38 degrees. If you cool the tongue, for example, with ice, then the taste of sweet food can no longer be felt, or it can change significantly.

• Good taste is formed in the womb. So, scientists have found that the taste of some products is transmitted not only through mother's milk, but also through amniotic fluid, while the child is in the mother's stomach.

• American scientists conducted a study that established the dependence of taste preferences on the age and gender of a person. So, girls for the most part prefer sweets, fruits, vegetables. And boys, on the contrary, love fish, meat, poultry, and for the most part are indifferent to chocolate.

• During the flight due to high level Noise in humans decreases taste sensitivity to salty and sweet.

• The taste of biscuits is 11 times better revealed if it is washed down with milk drinks. But coffee, on the contrary, “kills” all other sensations. Therefore, if you want to fully enjoy your dessert, it is better to choose the right drinks and drink coffee separately from other food.

Sweet

The sweet taste is perhaps the most pleasant for the majority of the world's population. Suddenly, the expression " sweet life", and not some other. At the same time, not only flour and confectionery products are sweet, but also products of natural origin. Together with this, they are also useful. Most sweet products contain a large number of glucose. And as you know, glucose is the main metabolic fuel for the human body. That is why taste buds they easily recognize the sweet taste, and at the same time they produce the hormones of happiness - serotonin and endorphin.It should be noted that these hormones are addictive. Here it is the explanation for the fact that depression and stress we prefer to seize with something sweet.

It is no secret that excessive consumption of sweets adversely affects the shape and condition of the skin. However, do not completely abandon desserts. Do not eat treats on an empty stomach and, if possible, try to replace them with dried fruits, honey, nuts.

Sour

Most acidic foods contain ascorbic acid. And if you suddenly crave something sour, know that this may indicate a lack of vitamin C in your body. Such taste differences can even serve as a signal of an upcoming cold. The main thing is not to overdo it: you should not actively supply your body with this useful substance, everything is good in moderation. An excess of acid negatively affects the functioning of the digestive system and the condition of tooth enamel.

If a lot of acid is involved in the metabolism, the body will try to get rid of its excess. This happens in many ways. For example, through the lungs through the exhalation of carbon dioxide or through the skin through the release of sweat. But when all possibilities are exhausted, acids accumulate in the connective tissue, which impairs the functioning of the digestive system and provokes the accumulation of toxins in the body.

The daily requirement of vitamin C for adult men and women is 70-100 milligrams. Especially a lot of it in sour berries (gooseberries, currants, cranberries), in citrus fruits and kiwi, in fresh vegetables(especially in bell pepper).

Story

In Western culture, the concept of "basic tastes" dates back at least to the time of Aristotle.

In adults, mixed saliva in the oral cavity has a pH = 6.8 ... 7.4, so the tongue can feel more or less acidic zones in the mouth. If the product has a pH<7, мы ощущаем кислый вкус. При рН>7 we feel the so-called. "soapy" taste. A convenient standard of acidity is solutions of acetic acid (for comparison, the acidity of gastric juice is normal pH ~ 1).

Sweet

Sweetness is usually associated with the presence of sugars, but the same sensation comes from glycerol, certain proteins, amino acids (aspartame). One of the chemical carriers of "sweet" are hydroxo groups in large organic molecules - sugars, as well as polyols - sorbitol, xylitol. Sweet detectors are G-proteins located in the taste buds. A system of "second messengers" is used, specifically cAMP, associated with H ± channels, that is, the reception of "sour taste".

bitter

Bitterness, like sweetness, is perceived through G-proteins. Historically, bitter taste has been associated with an unpleasant sensation, and possibly a danger to some herbal products for good health. Indeed, most plant alkaloids are both toxic and bitter, and evolutionary biology has reason to believe so.

The synthetic bitter substance denatonium (known under the brand name Bitrex) is synthesized in . Its derivative (Denatonium benzoate) is used as a "repellent agent" to prevent accidental ingestion of toxic substances, for example by children or animals.

astringent

This taste is associated with the reception of tannins (tannins in tea, blackthorn berries, etc.). The mechanism of its occurrence is associated with the binding of tannins and proteins rich in proline. With insufficiently developed terminology in certain social or linguistic groups, this taste is not distinguished and is evaluated as a variant of bitter.

Notes

Links

1. "Taste bud" for fatty foods found (English) . BBC News (November 2, 2005). Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2010.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what "Basic Tastes" is in other dictionaries:

This term has other meanings, see Taste (meanings). Taste in physiology is one of the types of chemoreception; a sensation that occurs when various substances act mainly on taste receptors (located on taste buds ... ... Wikipedia

Taste in physiology is one of the types of chemoreception; a sensation that occurs when various substances act mainly on taste receptors (located on the taste buds of the tongue, as well as the posterior pharyngeal wall, soft palate, tonsils, ... ... Wikipedia

- (Japanese 旨味?) the taste of proteins, the “fifth taste”, traditionally used in Japanese culture, in other countries of the east. The umami sensation is created by monosodium glutamate and other amino acids. These are food additives of the E600 E699 group. Due to the fact that ... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Sour. Village Sour Country Russia Russia ... Wikipedia

Who does not know the desire to eat something delicious. Someone likes sweet, someone prefers sour, and for some people, serve salty or spicy.

Researchers argue that not only the food itself, but also its taste brings great benefits to the body and has a healing effect.

What are taste buds

What these eating habits depend on is sometimes very difficult to explain. Science is engaged in this, and even a new direction has appeared that studies the physiology of taste and taste buds - taste therapy.

The receptors of the tongue, which are located on the human tongue, on the walls of the pharynx, palate, and tonsils, help us to distinguish taste. Information from the receptors is transmitted along the fibers of the glossopharyngeal, facial and other nerves to the cerebral cortex and there a sensation of a particular taste is formed.

Taste buds are special cells that are located in the bulbs, and the bulbs are on the taste buds. Taste buds line the surface of the tongue.

But taste cells are also located on the walls of the pharynx, tonsils and help us feel the beauty of the food we eat.

The information that the brain receives not only from taste buds, but also from olfactory, thermal, tactile, and nervous ones helps to get a complete picture of taste.

You have probably repeatedly noticed that during illness, with nasal congestion and, the taste of food is distorted, it seems to us completely tasteless.

The perception of taste is not complete without teeth, the nerve endings on the roots of the teeth, like pressure sensors, transmit information to the brain about the hardness and structure of food.

Dentists say that if nerve endings are removed along with the teeth, then the sensation of the taste of food changes.

Taste buds do not perceive or distort the taste of food if the body temperature is above 38 degrees or, on the contrary, very low. Different combination products often changes the perception of taste.

Suppose the taste of wine is enhanced by the influence of cheese. If you ate something sweet before a sip of wine, you can experience completely unexpected taste sensations.

The perception of taste is also disturbed from frequent burns of the oral mucosa and tongue when a person takes too hot food and from chemical burns when alcohol or a semblance of alcohol is taken in immoderate doses.

To keep taste buds healthy longer, doctors do not recommend giving children too spicy, hot, spicy food, especially stuffed with nutritional supplements, under the influence of which a violation of taste sensations can occur.

Taste receptors work only in the presence of saliva, which dissolves solids and activates taste buds, in addition, saliva washes away food debris, preparing the tongue for new taste sensations.

But the most important function of saliva is that it binds acids and protects the taste buds from harmful effects on them.

The main types of taste

Traditionally, it was customary to distinguish four main tastes: bitter, sweet, sour and salty, as you can see in the picture.

It was believed that the receptors that recognize a particular taste are located in groups, so sweet is on the tip of the tongue, sour on the sides ...

Modern functional and molecular data show that receptors are distributed over the entire surface of the tongue, only differ in density.

Based on these data, it is safe to say that the “language map” presented above is an erroneous outdated idea.

What is umami. In the 20th century, in the countries of Southeast Asia, in America and Europe, in connection with the production of a food additive called , which changes the taste of food, they began to isolate new taste- minds.

Umami is the taste of monosodium glutamate and is considered the fifth taste. Experts explain it in different ways, some argue that it resembles meat broth, others that it has an astringent-spicy taste.

sweet taste felt under the influence of sugar, it is associated with tenderness and respect, and its lack in the body creates a presence of anxiety.

Sour taste depends on the content of inorganic and organic acids in food, it gives the impression of confidence and satisfaction. Lack of this taste breeds anger and anger.

salty taste due to the presence of inorganic ions, it evokes associations of fullness and calmness, and its absence gives rise to inner fear.

bitter taste due to the presence of alkaloids, it is associated with love and joy, and its absence leads to devastation.

spicy taste causes determination, while its deficiency in the body develops sadness.

Such facts are also interesting, our tongue feels the sweetest taste of the listed tastes. To determine it, the concentration of sugar must exceed 1:200, for salt 1:400, for acid 1:130,000, for bitterness 1:2,000,000. But in order to determine the taste of a substance, it must be dissolved, saliva performs this function in the body.

But in the East, six receptor sensations have long been accepted. Their bitter taste is subdivided into two more. It stands out purely bitter, like cinchona (we often say that the cucumber is bitter) and burning, which includes mustard, pepper, radish.

Modern specialists offer a more extensive classification. In addition to those listed, mint, tart, metallic, alkaline, and even the taste of fat and water are distinguished, but so far this is unofficial.

The taste of fat was recently discovered by the Japanese, who discovered that rats perfectly recognize lipids with their taste buds.

An interesting fact is that in the human tongue there are more than 30 receptors that determine the bitter taste, but for sweet only one, and for umami there is also only one. There are about 10,000 taste receptors in our tongue!

Mixture of taste

Taste sensations are pure and mixed. The receptors of the tongue feel the same bitter taste, regardless of the history of its origin, only its effect is emphasized - weak or strong. Therefore, we never talk about several kinds of sweet, or bitter, or salty. We feel well either the brightness of the taste or its fading. And here it is important to emphasize that only salt, while other salty flavors are intense.

If several pure tastes are mixed, mixed tastes are obtained. And then our receptors capture a variety of sensations that either like or cause rejection. The perception of taste improves the quality of human life, enriching it with new taste colors.

Taste therapy is a very pleasant type of treatment, where you can prescribe treatment yourself, because it is just a meal, albeit with a specific purpose.

• Read the continuation of the article:

Health to you, dear readers!

☀ ☀ ☀

The blog articles use pictures from open sources on the Internet. If you suddenly see your author's photo, report it to the blog editor through the form. The photo will be removed, or a link to your resource will be placed. Thanks for understanding!

It is believed that a person distinguishes either four or five elementary tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and one more, for which there is no Russian name. It is called "umami" and is attributed to the taste of monosodium glutamate. However, sometimes it is called "sweet", and food manufacturers believe that monosodium glutamate simply enhances the sensation of other tastes. If you believe the books about food, then there are not five, but many thousands of tastes - but culinary specialists do not mean elementary tastes, but combined ones. Recently, scientists have suspected that there are not five of them.

It turned out that the taste buds of rats react differently to various bitter substances. The bitter pathogen causes an increase in the concentration of calcium in the receptor cell, which induces the cell to secrete a transmitter (a chemical transmitter of impulses between nerve cells). To study this process, biologists A. Caisedo and S. Roper from the University of Miami (USA) introduced a fluorescent label into the taste cells of the rat tongue, which reacts to an increase in calcium levels. They then exposed the cells to various bitter compounds. It turned out that 66 percent of bitter-sensitive cells responded to only one compound, 27 percent to two, and 7 percent to more than two compounds.

This means that the taste buds that respond to different bitter substances are different, but we only have one name for "bitter". Or perhaps rats are simply better versed in the bitter side of life than humans.

What is taste made of?

Different substances may have a pure or mixed taste. The taste of all purely bitter substances is perceived by man in exactly the same way. So, solutions of opium, strychnine, morphine, quinine may differ from one another in the intensity of the feeling of bitterness they cause, but not in its quality. If, however, the intensity of sensation is equalized by taking the listed solutions in different concentrations, then they become indistinguishable. The same applies to sour tastes. Solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, formic, oxalic, tartaric, citric and malic acids, taken in the appropriate dilution, are indistinguishable in taste. In the study of sweet substances, it was also found that there are no several types of sweet. Certain substances may have a more or less pronounced sweet taste, but if this taste is purely sweet, then their solutions cannot be distinguished from one another. Glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose have a purely sweet taste. With regard to the salty taste, it has been proven that only one substance, common salt, has it in its pure form. All other brackish substances have a bitter or sour taste.

How do flavors mix? Sour and sweet substances can cause the sweet and sour sensation found in many varieties of apples or fruit drinks. An example of a sour-salty sensation is taste cucumber pickle. Bitter and sweet merge with difficulty, but bitter cocoa mixed with sugar causes a peculiar fused sensation, characteristic of chocolate. But the fusion of bitter with salty and especially bitter with sour does not occur at all. Mixtures of bitter and salty, bitter and sour substances are extremely unpleasant in taste.

When consumed in excess, the salty taste causes thirst, lethargy, a burning sensation, and muscle wasting. It makes the blood thick and viscous, causing an increase in blood pressure. The salty taste worsens the condition of the skin, causes wrinkles, promotes tooth loss, graying and hair loss. The salty taste increases the acidity of the stomach, promotes the development of gout and other diseases, mainly related to Pitta.

spicy taste

Pungent taste increases Pitta and Vata and reduces Kapha. Effect on the body: warming.

The pungent taste is matched by a spicy pungent smell. They have a spicy taste:

• Spices (black pepper, cayenne, chili; mustard seeds, ginger, asafoetida, cloves, cumin, cardamom, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, anise, onion, rosemary, oregano, etc.).
• Raw vegetables (radish, radish, horseradish, onion, celery, eggplant).

The pungent taste is light, hot and dry. Pungent taste promotes digestion, stimulates appetite, cleanses the oral cavity, eliminates blood clots and stagnation, cleanses the blood, kills microbes and viruses, and warms the body from the inside. Pungent taste enhances the taste of food. It has an antiseptic, bactericidal effect, treats skin diseases, stops itching, promotes perspiration and eliminates toxic accumulations, destroys worms.

When consumed in excess, the pungent taste causes exhaustion, fatigue, apathy, exhaustion, dizziness, fainting, and loss of consciousness. Causes thirst and a burning sensation. May cause gastritis and stomach ulcers.

bitter taste

Bitter taste increases Vata, reduces Pitta and Kapha. Effect on the body: cooling.

A bitter taste corresponds to a bitter smell. Bitter tastes include:

The bitter taste cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, eliminates salts, no matter how deeply they penetrate the body, destroys worms. Relieves burning sensation, itching, inflammatory skin conditions and thirst. It has a bactericidal, antipyretic effect. In moderation, the bitter taste stimulates digestion. Having a drying effect on the body, it reduces the amount of fat and promotes weight loss.

The bitter taste is not very pleasant, but it restores the sense of taste, enhancing the sensation of other tastes. Bitter taste should be consumed in a small amount. If a person is naturally thin, i.e. Vata constitution, he does not need a bitter taste. Medicinal herbs Vata constitution should be consumed with honey.

With excessive use, the bitter taste gives rise to depression, longing, resentment, melancholy. If a person is drawn to bitter food, it means that he lives in anguish. Alcohol has a bitter taste. Drinking alcoholic beverages, a person wants to wash down his bitterness. Excessive passion for bitter taste unbalances Vata dosha. Too much bitterness leads to dehydration, causes dryness, exhaustion, fatigue, hallucinations, dizziness, dry mouth, cracking joints.

Astringent taste

Astringent taste increases Vata, reduces Pitta and Kapha. Effect on the body: cooling.

The meal should end with an astringent taste. This taste has healing, drying, binding properties, and naturally completes the process of digestion in the body. The astringent taste is found mainly in legumes, raw vegetables, fruits and spices:

• Fruits (pomegranate, pomegranate peel, persimmon, quince, cranberry, feijoa, unripe banana and other unripe fruits).
• Vegetables (okra or okra).
• Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, dal).
• Nuts (hazelnuts, green walnuts).
• spices (turmeric, nutmeg, saffron, parsley, basil).
• Plants containing tannins (oak bark, raspberry leaves, witch hazel, geranium, plantain).
• Cottage cheese.
• Tea coffee.

The astringent taste is cool, dry and light. The astringent taste has a calming effect, stops diarrhea, treats inflammation in the joints, reduces sweating and slows or stops bleeding. It has anti-inflammatory and wound healing and analgesic effect, it is used in the treatment of ulcers, hemorrhoids.

Astringent taste should not be abused, because in excess it unbalances Vata dosha.

When consumed in excess, the astringent taste causes constipation, bloating, weakness, dry mouth, and speech difficulties. Excess astringent taste causes congestion of blood vessels, pain in the heart, premature aging. Excess astringency can cause malnutrition, convulsions, facial paralysis, stroke, and other neuromuscular disorders of Vata dosha.

Tea and coffee spoil the stomach and extinguish the fire of digestion. The habit of drinking tea or coffee immediately after eating stops the digestive process.

mixed tastes

Foods and plants rarely have the same taste, but usually one of the tastes predominates.

Sweet and sour tastes often combined in various fruits, for example in oranges, apples, pineapple, hawthorn fruits. They are very good for Vata. The sweet taste is often combined with astringents, as, for example, in persimmon, pomegranate, elm, water lily, comfrey and lotus. Herbs with a sweet astringent taste are especially good for Pitta, but can be difficult to digest. Sometimes sweet and bitter tastes are combined - for example, in licorice. These herbs are also especially good for Pitta. Can be combined sweet and spicy tastes, as in ginger, cinnamon, fennel. Such herbs are especially good for Vata.

Sometimes pungent and bitter tastes are combined, as, for example, in wormwood, motherwort and yarrow. Such herbs have a strong effect on Kapha.

In some cases, pungent and astringent tastes can be combined - for example, in cinnamon and medicinal sage. They also affect Kapha. Bitter and astringent tastes are often combined, as in many diuretic herbs. Such herbs include plantain, bearberry, "gold seal". They work mainly on Pitta.

Some foods and herbs contain three or more flavors. To determine the effect of such products and herbs, their thermal effect and the effect after digestion are important. Herbs with multiple flavors often have strong effects or a wide range of effects.