Scientists uncover our tongue’s sixth taste and why we love carbs

[C]arb cravings can be hard to resist[, but n]ow there’s evidence that carbohydrate-rich foods may elicit a unique taste too, suggesting that “starchy” could be a flavour in its own right.

It has long been thought that our tongues register a small number of primary tastes: salty, sweet, sour and bitter. Umami – the savoury taste often associated with monosodium glutamate – was added to this list seven years ago…However, this list misses a major component of our diets, says Juyun Lim….

The finding adds to growing evidence that human taste is more complex than thought.

But before any new flavours can be enshrined as primary tastes, they must meet a strict list of criteria. Tastes need to be recognisable, have their own set of tongue receptors, and trigger some kind of useful physiological response.

One criterion is that a flavour must be useful to us. There’s a strong case to be made for starch here, which is a valuable slow-release energy source that is worth detecting.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: There is now a sixth taste – and it explains why we love carbs

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