Bacteria In Your Mouth
Can you distinguish flavor of food well? Then, you have a good amount of bacteria in your mouth. In Switzerland scientists report, bacteria in your mouth create a certain flavor of food like magic of food. These bacteria produce food odors from odorless component of food, which is called retroaromatic effect arises from chemicals produced from precursors found in these food. Bacteria help us to test a food fully so we can enjoy our fruits and vegetable.
The scientists had an experiment by using odorless compound from grapes, onions, and bell peppers. Scientists made participants to test that odorless compounds. The participants were able to distinguish these flavors in 20 to 30 seconds. In addition, the tests lasted 3minutes long. Yet scientists were not able to understand how it occurs. Still, it is very interesting to think about. Bacteria make you can test a food flavor how odd is that.
Posted by So Jin Lee(9)
Update(11/18/08)
In the experiment, the scientists found that some fruit and vegetable release the odor only after we swallow the food. Grapes, onions, and bell peppers have natural thiols, which released from odorless sulfur compound. The thiols are the chemical we perceive as the food odors.
In the study, the scientists found that the odorless compounds are transformed into the thiols by anaerobic bacteria living in the mouth,anaerobic bacteria is oxygen-avoiding bacteria, causing the retroaromatic effect.
Update(11/18/08)
In the experiment, the scientists found that some fruit and vegetable release the odor only after we swallow the food. Grapes, onions, and bell peppers have natural thiols, which released from odorless sulfur compound. The thiols are the chemical we perceive as the food odors.
In the study, the scientists found that the odorless compounds are transformed into the thiols by anaerobic bacteria living in the mouth,anaerobic bacteria is oxygen-avoiding bacteria, causing the retroaromatic effect.
posted by PWH @ 9:14 PM
14 comments
14 Comments:
Does this bacteria only work for fruits and vegetables? What was the odorless compound from grapes, onions, and bell peppers that scientists used?
SUSAN DUONG
I'm not surprised that bacteria have to do with it- what I wonder though is how much bacteria that are in the food before we eat it contribute to flavor (that being- not only bacteria that are already in our mouth). If bacteria already in food is involved than it may explain why preserved fruits and vegetable taste like c**p.
Noam Pelleg
11/15/08
Wow I always thought that we rely solely on taste buds to distinguish flavors. The experiment didn't seem to mention that bacteria had anything to do with it, though. Which bacteria are responsible for this? Overall, very interesting article.
Hanbing Guo
I remember hearing something a long time ago about bacteria in your mouth that helps you taste food but I did not know the extent of it! Is the bacteria in your mouth similar to any other bacteria that we know of? Also, can it be studied using other foods aside from fruits and vegetables?
- Sarah Moltzen
I always find it so interesting that there are so many benefits to bacteria! You are always taught that bacteria is bad and dangerous but it seems that more research is coming out every day proving otherwise. I wonder if someday scientists can use this to alter our perceptions of what tastes good and what tastes bad. Very interesting, nice job!
Ericka Adey
This is a very interesting discovery. I never would have thought that there were bacteria helped us enjoy our food. Now, I know that there are receptors on our tongue to send a signal back to our brain to recognize a flavor. Knowing what you stated in the blog post, is it actually clear that the bacteria do some rearrange of the chemical structure of the molecules that are in our food, and those rearranged structures are what bind to the receptors on our tongue? Is there variation of the types of tongue-bacteria on individuals who dislike the 'bitter' taste and those who don't mind the 'bitter' taste?
-Kiel Boutelle
Thats kind of weird. Is this bacteria good bacteria or bad bacteria? I guess that makes sense tho because I know after I use listerine the flavor of food is somewhat dull compared to other times. How does this bacteria work with you taste buds to produce this msg like effect? Pretty interesting article, I'll make sure use less listerine haha.
Patrick Salome
I've never heard of this, I thought taste buds were what distinguished flavors. How does the bacteria do this I didn't quite understand that from the article. Interesting though, it does make sense considering the amount of bacteria we have in our bodies.
-Julie Riley
I wonder if this has anything to do with why food can taste so terrible after you have just brushed your teeth, especially with orange juice. Also, I've heard that smoking cigarettes will ruin your ability to taste food, so I wonder if this is also because of an effect the smoke has on the bacteria, or if it is just destroying your taste buds. Neat article.
Rachel Carboni
I'm surprised that bacteria have that much of an affect on the foods we eat. I knew it had somewhat of an effect, but not this much. I wonder if we introduce different bacterias into other foods to make them taste better, such as vegetables.
Duy Nguyen
I am curious to the receptors of taste in our mouths and how they interpret the compounds that the bacterica give off. I know that humans have lost much of the taste receptor genes that our evolutionary cousins have, and I wonder if these genes are teh ones that register the compounds given off from the bacteria, or the food itself.
Stephen Lee
How many different types of bacteria are responsible for this? I'm curious if people of different ethnicities possibly have more or less favorable environments for different species of these bacteria (if there could be a genetic component to this) causing their food tastes to be different? Also, could bacterial conditions in your mouth as you age cause some people to like the taste of some foods more when they are older than when they were younger?
~Allison Cornell (9)
This was a pretty cool find! Does the bacteria work in conjunction with the taste buds? Is this only for fruits and veggies? I am surprised to only see three foods tested (three very easily identifiable foods). Does everyone have the same amount of this bacteria?
Alyson Paige
Interesting. How much of a role does the bacteria play in food tasting? And dose it harm you body in any way?
Alex Pavidapha
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