Washington, May 31 (ANI): Researchers at Oregon State University
have shed light on how taste and smell actually work to control
our perceptions of flavor, and why we love some foods much more
than others. The findings could lead to the Holy Grail of
nutrition - helping people learn to really like vegetables. As
an evolutionary survival mechanism, humans are wired to prefer
sweet-tasting foods and avoid bitter substances. In the distant
past, that helped us avoid poison and find food that provided
energy. Now, it just makes us fat. In several publications, the
most recent in the journal Chemical Senses, scientists have
outlined exactly how humans use the nose and tongue to recognize
the flavour of foods that are safe to eat. When odor and taste
components of foods are congruent, like vanilla and sugar, they
are perceived as one sensation, which seems to come from the
mouth. "This is a trick that the brain plays on us. Vanilla has
no taste at all. It's a smell, and the pleasant sensation is
coming not from you