Coffee affects the perception of tastes
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Coffee is perhaps the most controversial beverage. Its effect on the human body is multifaceted and varied, and not even always useful. And at the same time, many of us cannot imagine the morning without our favorite drink. A new study by scientists has shown another property of coffee, which applies, among other things, to a drink that does not contain caffeine.
The results of the study were published in FoodsFoods .
According to the researchers, coffee can significantly increase a person's sensitivity to sweets and decrease it in relation to bitter foods. It turns out that avid coffee lovers over time begin to feel the bitter taste worse.
It is noteworthy that the scientists conducted their experiment using not only regular coffee, but also a decaffeinated drink .
More than one and a half hundred volunteers took part in the study. They were asked to taste and smell different concentrated liquids, both sweet and sugary-bitter. For the preparation of liquids, food acids, sugar, salt and even quinine were used. Then the participants drank a cup of coffee and tried the specified liquids again.
Regardless of what kind of drink was offered to the participants (natural "espresso" or decaffeinated coffee), after the experiment, an increase in sensitivity to sweets and a decrease in sensitivity to bitterness were clearly detected. It is worth noting that among the volunteers there were both avid coffee lovers and those people who did not particularly indulge themselves with coffee. For large coffee lovers, the sensitivity to bitterness was lower, and they felt sweetness even in minimal concentration.
In addition, the pattern of drinking a glass of water between coffee and concentrated liquids was also investigated.
Scientists have voiced the result: in order to reduce the sensation of bitterness in the mouth, it is inappropriate to use water. It is much more effective to drink a cup of coffee, which will lead to a strong drop in the sensitivity of the receptors to bitterness. Moreover, this phenomenon is temporary.
Interestingly, it feels better to drink coffee with dark chocolate rather than a milk or chocolate bar. This combination removes the "cloying" taste, as the bitter aftertaste of dark chocolate is dulled. For example, scientists have found that people who do not consume dark chocolate because of its excessive bitterness, quite comfortably eat a few pieces in combination with a cup of espresso.
In conclusion, the experts traced a number of additional properties of the drink - in particular, its effect on vascular tone. So, caffeinated coffee dilates blood vessels (including coronary ones), relaxes muscles, which can be dangerous for patients with cardiovascular pathologies and pregnant women. However, this is already a topic for the next experiments.
Primary source of information: MDPIMDPI