Supertasters Love Salty Food
 

I have mentioned before here at :ff: that I am a self-diagnosed supertaster who is extremely sensitive to bitter tastes. This dislike of things bitter is most likely why I don't like coffee and like my tea weak. My dislike of coffee goes so far that I can't even stand the smell of it, the grounds or it being brewed. I also really don't like vegetables either unless they're covered in some sort of salty goo like Velveeta cheese or some other sauce or gravy.

According to a new study, supertasters, people who are extra sensitive to certain tastes such as bitter or salty, tend to like salty foods. In one test, supertasters preferred the very salty Cracker Barrel brand cheddar cheese over the sodium-free version. Salt tends to cancel out the bitterness, which would explain the preference. It would also explain my love of bacon.

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My mother is extremely sensitive to spicy foods, in the way you're sensitive to bitterness.

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Re: Supertasters Love Salty Food
 

Sweetie, everyone loves salty foods.


I can't taste much (self-diagnosed non-taster), but salty is yum. As is sweet and fatty, of course.

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I have to have my food covered in salt. It dont matter what it is.

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yeah I know I have been warned about that all of my life

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I seriously thought that link was gonna be about semen.

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oh no! I didnt really give it much thought I just clicked on it

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And now I somehow feel that it should have been.

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We have six different basic types of taste buds; each responds to different types of chemicals.


Some respond to small carbohydrate molecules -- i.e. sugars -- and so produce the sensation of sweetness. Probably not coincidentally, most people like things that taste sweet. Such foods are high in sugars and thus good sources of energy.


Some respond to dissolved ions, especially sodium ions (Na+). Substances that dissociate to release metallic ions when dissolved in water are known as "salts," and so these taste buds produce the sensation of "saltiness" when stimulated. Most people quite like salty foods as well. Again, this makes evolutionary sense, given that throughout most of human history, table salt (NaCl) was difficult to acquire and that it is (in moderation) a necessary nutrient. [It's ironic that most Americans get too much salt in their diets nowadays. Salt used to be so important that Roman soldiers were partially paid in salt. That's where the expression "He's worth his salt" comes from. The word "salary" is also derived from the Latin for salt, salis.]

On a related note, the hormone aldosterone appears to increase the sensitivity of the taste buds to salt. This makes sense, given that aldosterone's main function is to maintain adequate sodium levels in the body tissues. If you're suffering from inadequate sodium levels, aldosterone is secreted, which helps trigger Na+ conservation by the kidneys and the sweat glands. In laboratory mice, it also increases the sensitivity of the salt-detecting taste buds.

I wonder if there might be a correlation between unusual sensitivity to salt and unusual aldosterone levels? It wouldn't be surprising.



Some of the taste buds respond to hydrogen ions (H+). Substances that release H+ ions when dissolved in water are known as acids. Thus, acids taste sour to us. Most people aren't as fond of sour-tasting, acidic foods. Again, this makes sense, since many plants deposit acidic compounds in their unripe fruit. These acids break down as the fruit ripens, so most people find ripe fruit to be tastier than unripe fruit. Also, acidic compounds can be produced by bacterial decay, indicating that the food has begun to spoil.


Many plants produce defensive chemicals called alkaloids. Alkaloids and other defensive chemicals produced by plants trigger taste buds that generate the sensation of bitterness. (There are 25 known different types of taste receptors that cause the sensation of bitterness -- each responds best to a certain type of chemical.) Many of these chemicals are deadly poisonous in even very small quantities. Accordingly, it's probably no surprise that a.) the bitterness-detecting taste buds are extremely sensative and can detect even minute quantities of the chemicals that trigger them, and b.) virtually everyone finds bitter-tasting substances to be quite repulsive.


Some of the taste buds respond to amino acids, especially glutamic acid. Since amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, protein-rich foods will trigger these taste buds, causing the sensation called umami. Most people describe it as a "rich" or "savory" sensation.


The sixth principle type of taste bud responds to water. Unlike the other five, however, it does not trigger any conscious sensation in most people -- thus, most of us can't taste water. These taste buds are nonetheless important, because they help us regulate our water balance by reporting to the hypothalamus of the brain, which, in turn, regulates the thirst center of the brain.



Cheers,

Michael

Re: Supertasters Love Salty Food
 

Re: Supertasters Love Salty Food
 

OK, I'm confused (not unusual). I was under the impression that being a "NON" taster meant preferring super salty, super sweet, super sour, super bitter, super EVERYTHING... oh and spicy. I basically like all my foods in extreme so I figured based on what I have read that I am a non-taster. What gives?

Re: Supertasters Love Salty Food
 

Outside of the taste buds that TLR so thoroughly described above, most of the tastes of food (outside of salty, hot, bitter, umamai and sweet) our nose is where we experience flavor. So if you are a "non-taster" and only respond to the basic flavors, you might actually be a non-smeller.

Personally I love bitter, hops, greens and the like. It was an acquired taste. I also did the chemical strip tasting test in Anatomy and Physiology, and couldn't taste the bitter PTC on it. So I think some people who are repulsed by bitter, probably have the gene that makes them capable of tasting more bitter. Super taster? Not so much.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bitter.html

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Several people have suggested that I might be a supertaster. I like salty food.

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People might prefer synthetic rubber over a sodium-free health cheese, too. That's going from one extreme to another, so what about normal cheese? Neither hyper-salt nor hyper-healthy?

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whatever the oposite of a supertaster is,
i has it because i cannot BEAR the taste
of salt... my kids grew up hearing "omg,
this tastes like the ocean! could it BE any
saltier?!?!" and it was just corn chips!

i dont cook with salt, eat my eggs without it
and strangely, like crazy strange, i love the
kettle fried salt and vinegar potato chips....
othewise >>> salt burns burns burns my mouth!

go figger

Re: Supertasters Love Salty Food
 

Lucky. :) The healthy low-salt stuff probably tastes great to you.

I just tried to smush your sig. Must be tired.