Sense of Taste

When we talk about eating behaviour, there are several parameters that influence it, such as individual issues (age, gender, personality, health status, level of knowledge and personal experience); environmental issues (extrinsic to the individual, social, cultural and economic environment); biological issues (such as hunger, satiety, health status, taste and sensory perception).

Of the factors identified, the palatability of food is one of the criteria mentioned for certain eating behaviours reported by individuals. In other words, greater or lesser acceptance or food preference is intrinsically associated with the sensory characteristics of food and the way each one is perceived by the person.

The main goal of food is to nourish, but it often becomes a source of pleasure, since it’s done more than once a day. It should also be noted that associated with the search for pleasure, certain eating behaviours should be evaluated to understand if this choice, besides being pleasurable, is being beneficial or harmful to the specific case.

The palatability of food depends on its sensory properties, such as taste, smell, texture and appearance. Five basic tastes can be distinguished in the mouth: salty, sour, sweet, bitter and umami.

 

Salty

Easily identified taste, conferring a classification to the food, which can be considered “salty” or “bland”, depending on whether the salt concentration is high or low, respectively. Most food is rejected when the salt concentration is high, but tolerance to such concentrations depends on each person.

One of the main ways to detect a salty taste is through the entry of sodium into the microvilli of the receptor cell, which through synapses allows the transmission of the message to the brain, translating into perception and meaning.

 

Acid

Triggered mostly by acids, generally associated with the fruit and its level of ripeness. Less acid fruits tend to be ripe and at the optimum point for consumption (with some exceptions). In the oral cavity, several receptors are involved in detecting this taste and for this reason, there are acids that are easily detected and others that trigger a weaker response. In this case, when weak acids enter the cell membrane, they promote a stronger response, compared to stronger acids which, because they do not penetrate the membrane, are less perceived.

 

Bitter

Associated with an adverse reaction by the organism, it functions as a defence mechanism against the ingestion of potentially toxic or antinutritional foods, associated with this taste. To be detected, it requires the interaction of molecules present in the food and receptors present in the membranes of the cells dedicated to this taste. However, in some cases, the substances may be permeable and not undergo any type of interaction and directly activate the bitter taste cells.

 

Umami

Considered the “delicious” taste, it is mostly perceived in foods containing the compound L-Glutamate acid, but it is not exclusive. In food, it can be found directly in some foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms or Parmesan cheese or use other foods which have a high content of umami substance to give the dish or culinary preparation an umami taste.

 

Sweet

Associated with Carbohydrates-rich foods, even if these are not rich in fast-absorbing Carbohydrates (sugars). The receptors can be activated by sucrose or other sugars (present in food), however this interaction can also be caused by artificial sugars, such as sweeteners. It is associated with innate pleasure (from birth), hence the ease of acceptance of this taste, both in childhood and adulthood.

 

Although these 5 tastes are common to everyone, the relationship between the perception of these tastes and the meaning created around them will directly influence food choice decision-making and, consequently, eating behaviour. It is therefore important to include varied foods, especially in the initial phase of introducing food, namely in the first years of life (1-3 years) to ensure a diet that is diversified in flavours and, consequently, in nutrients.

 

Nutritionist, Jacinta Mendes
3341N