The sixth basic taste under the tongue... What is it?

Arabia Weather - In the world of tastes and flavours, we have always been accustomed to talking about the five basic tastes: sweetness, acidity, saltiness, bitterness, and the umami flavor that is similar to glutamate, but have you ever imagined the existence of a sixth basic flavor, pulsing under our tongues, adding a new dimension to the world of flavors? And open a new horizon to explore?

What is the sixth taste?

The answer: A new response to taste has been discovered in humans, and a study published in the journal Nature Communications in early October showed that humans can also detect the taste of ammonium chloride , and that it elicits a strong sensation that the researchers described as “bitter, salty, and slightly sour.” Reports indicate that ammonium chloride activates receptors in our cells that detect salty and sour flavors. In addition to the five basic known tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami) , the ability to taste ammonium chloride is added to these tastes.

What is the importance of this discovery?

Answer: Regarding the importance of this discovery, Nicole Avena, an associate professor of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and author of the book “Sugarless,” said that the ability to taste ammonia, which refers to the smell and taste of spoiled foods such as seafood and meat, may be a way to survive. Alive.

This means that the ability to detect this taste; Hence avoiding it can play an important role in avoiding eating spoiled foods that may contain dangerous bacteria that can be harmful to our health.

How does the human taste system protect our lives and health?

Answer: Our taste system serves a vital function in maintaining our health and ensuring that we eat delicious food in a safe manner, as taste buds play an important role in distinguishing flavors and determining what we eat. In addition, the system helps us detect toxic substances and protects us from them.

When the taste receptors on our tongues interact with different foods, they send signals to our brain that contribute to providing an assessment of the flavor of the food. Reacting to it according to this assessment can help us make wise decisions about food, such as whether it is safe or dangerous, and whether we want to eat more. Or not. In addition, thanks to taste, the appearance of some negative nutritional labels or unpleasant odors can prevent us from eating toxic substances or spoiled products.

For example, taste buds can detect substances such as ammonium when large amounts of them are ingested, and this could complement the survival advantage of living organisms. What is noteworthy is that there is a great diversity of tastes among humans, and in some cases, some of them can enjoy the taste of substances that may It seems unappetizing to others.

Ammonium chloride activates sour taste receptors

Sour taste receptors are activated by ammonium chloride in a new study, and this study is the first of its kind to look at how our taste buds respond to this compound.

Where cultured human cells were exposed to ammonium chloride to examine how this compound activates taste cells, the researchers found that ammonium chloride is able to activate a specific proton channel called autopterin 1 (OTOP1) protein , which is a type of receptor that is present in our acidic taste buds.

How mice responded to ammonium chloride was also studied, and it was found that mice that did not have OTOP1 receptors did not show a response to ammonium chloride, while mice that did carry these receptors avoided the compound. This study shows that the response of OTOP1 receptors in humans and mice is similar to how the receptors respond to acidic taste.

Based on these findings, the researchers believe that OTOP1 receptors are necessary to help humans detect the taste of ammonium chloride. Avena says that this study indicates the possibility of the existence of a new taste receptor, OTOP1 , that responds to the taste of ammonia in cell cultures and animals. These preliminary results are exciting, and encourage further research to confirm and understand them better.

A new taste response has been identified in humans, and this discovery adds to the five well-known classical tastes:

Sweetness, acidity, saltiness, bitterness, and umami (salty flavour) . A new study finds that ammonium chloride enhances our perception of a salty, bitter flavor with a slight hint of acidity.

Research into the science of taste is still ongoing, and there is great potential to discover new and beneficial tastes that we have not yet discovered. This discovery is especially important in our current era with advances in food processing and modification. Future research can expand our understanding of the response of sensory cells and receptors to a variety of substances. This thought may have a major impact on the food industry and our personal health. Understanding how the human taste system works contributes to maintaining our safety and ensuring that we eat safe and delicious foods.

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Sources:

healthline

independentarabia