This shows that the interaction between smell and taste, the main components of food flavor, can begin on the tongue rather than in the brain as previously thought.
In fact, the unique flavor of most foods and beverages comes more from smell than from taste.
The detection of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory molecules on the tongue serves as a gatekeeper to assess the nutritional value and potential toxicity of what we put in our mouths.
Scientists have recently discovered the special abilities of the human tongue.
Smell provides detailed information about the quality of food flavors; for instance, how strong the smell of chocolate, bananas, or coffee is. The brain combines input from taste, smell, and other senses to create a perception of flavor for individuals.
Until now, taste and smell have been considered completely separate systems that do not interact until the information reaches the brain.
Dr. Mehmet Hakan Ozdener noticed this when his 12-year-old son asked whether snakes extend their tongues to smell.
Using genetic and biochemical methods to examine taste cells, researchers discovered some remarkable findings.
The researchers demonstrated that taste cells respond to smell molecules in a manner similar to smell receptor cells.
This suggests that smell receptors may play a role in the taste system by interacting with taste receptor cells on the tongue.
Other experiments by scientists showed that one taste cell can contain both taste and smell receptors.
Dr. Ozdener stated: “Our research could help explain how smell molecules influence taste perception. This could lead to the development of flavor enhancers based on smell that may help combat excessive salt, sugar, and fat intake associated with diet-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes.”
The presence of both smell and taste receptors in the same cell provides us with an exciting opportunity to study the interaction between smell and taste stimulation on the tongue.”
