Using ultrasound, researchers captured the facial expressions of developing fetuses in response to the taste of foods their mothers were eating. When exposed to carrots, the fetuses displayed "laughter-face" expressions, and "crying-face" expressions when exposed to kale. The findings shed new light on the development of human taste and olfactory receptors.
Researchers have identified over 400 different genes associated with people's liking of different foods including avocados, chilies, oily fish, and more.
Olfactory dysfunction can have both physical and social consequences, in addition to influencing food intake and weight. Researchers say foods that stimulate other chemical senses when consumed, such as chili or menthol, can improve life quality for those with olfactory dysfunction.
Camostat mesylate, an oral medication commonly prescribed to treat pancreatitis, reduces both the loss of smell and taste in those with COVID-19 infection.
Diet influences dopamine and insulin signaling in the brain, which in turn directly affects the peripheral sensory response in fruit flies. This response influences what the fly decides to eat next.
Children whose saliva produced high amounts of sulfur volatiles disliked raw Brassica vegetables the most. The levels of sulfur volatiles were similar in parents and children, suggesting a shared oral microbiome. However, the relationship between sulfur volatiles and the dislike of Brassica vegetables was not as high in adults, suggesting they may have learned to tolerate the taste of the vegetables over time.
It takes slightly longer to include information about healthy foods in the process of choosing between the taste and healthiness of a snack.
Neurochemistry may dictate our choices for certain kinds of food, even when we believe we are making a conscious choice in what to eat.
Removing the wisdom teeth can improve a person's taste perception by up to ten percent.
Changes in taste perception can for years following chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments for cancer, a new study reports. Cancer survivors reported less sensitivity to bitter, sweet, and salty tastes compared to those who never received a cancer diagnosis. Taste buds on the tip of the tongue are most affected.
Flavored e-cigarette tobacco engages the taste system, while non-flavored vaped nicotine triggers the brain's reward system in a similar way observed when people smoke traditional cigarettes.
When people witness an act they find offensive, the brain inhibits neurons that control tongue movement in the same way as it does when a person tastes something bad.