Supertasters
Imagine being able to taste too much. It may sound strange, but some people are supertasters, meaning they taste flavors more intensely than most people.
In fact, about 15 percent of Americans are supertasters, according to Linda Bartoshuk, an experimental psychologist with the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“Supertasters are people who experience unusual intense sensations from taste,” said Bartoshuk.
Supertasters tend to avoid foods high in fat and sugar. They also stay away from strong-flavored foods like vegetables, which can taste bitter to a supertaster.
“It particularly affects bitter. Bitter tastes in foods are very important in terms of dietary choices. For example, not eating bitter vegetables raises your chances of colon cancer,” Bartoshuk said.
In an experiment, participants were given a paper soaked with a chemical compound called PROP (short for 6-n-propylthiouracil ). Most people do not taste PROP at all, but to a supertaster PROP tastes bitter.
“This solution is intensely bitter to supertasters,” said Bartoshuk.
Bartoshuk discovered that supertasters are born with more taste buds on their tongue, which makes them taste flavors more acutely. They also tend to have an increased perception of oral pain. But, supertasters can also enjoy their food more.
“They get more pleasure than other people do...if they like something, they really love it,” Bartoshuk said.
Supertasting abilities are more common in women than men and in Asians and African-Americans than Caucasians.
Get Inside the Science:
