The science of taste, enjoyment and health Why taste is so important to nutrition
The Food Scientist, Dr Anneline Padayachee
Healthy, nutritious foods are often perceived as tasting “bland”, while discretionary or unhealthy foods are portrayed as being full of enjoyable flavour, as aptly described by American actor and film-maker Robert Redford in his famous quote: “Health food may be good for the conscience, but Oreos taste… a lot better” Redford (2023). Throughout history, sweet cakes and cookies have been used in birthday celebrations from the ancient Egyptian Kahk cookies for the sun God Ra on birthdays to Geburstgorten birthday cakes specifically baked for children in Germany in the 1400s, a tradition that has spread globally and remains well entrenched in societal norms (Sugar.org, 2023). Beyond nutrition, taste is the main factor that differentiates healthy foods from discretionary foods. Aristotle (350BC) is credited with defining taste in terms of either sweet or bitter, and influenced by odorous characteristics like oily, pungent, harsh, sour, sharp or acidic (Polansky, 2007). Until the science and understanding of the functions of the human body was determined, our tongue has been our main guide throughout millennia, helping us differentiate safe food from potentially hazardous foods. Since the days of Aristotle, science has come a long way in understanding the tongue, the science of taste, and how taste affects food intake and hence, nutrition and health.
“... our taste-experiences largely govern our eating behaviours. ”
The fundamental reason why we come back to eating certain foods, and steer clear of eating others is taste. Hence taste has just as much importance on dietary intake and human health as nutrition because our taste-experiences largely govern our eating behaviours. Taste by definition is both the physiological “sense that perceives and distinguishes the sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami quality of a dissolved substance” via taste buds of the tongue, but is also used to describe the emotional attachment to “liking or a preference” for something whether it be the taste of a particular food, genre of music, style of clothes, or type of sport ("Taste," 2023a; "Taste," 2023b). Ultimately, taste preferences are influenced by cultural and societal norms. While the taste of a food is independent to its nutritional composition, nutrient rich foods are often perceived as “tasteless”, whereas discretionary foods are positioned as “tasty” which is highly influenced by the emotional sensations (e.g. pleasure, joy, disgust) that are aroused. To be clear, it is possible to enjoy delicious nutrition than endure blandness in the name of "health." The food industry focuses on understanding the components in foods that trigger taste, the role of different foods in society (e.g. cake and celebrations), and the emotional influences that drive behaviours. Fundamental to understanding the science of taste and the pleasure of eating is the tongue and its role in helping us choose or steer clear of different foods. >>> WAGYU QUARTERLY UPDATE 9