Are you a supertaster or a nontaster? Your taste buds can affect your health.

Posted on Nov 21st 2006 3:20PM by Brigitte Dale

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products

It's hard to believe that the terms "supertaster" and "nontaster" are medical terms, but it's true. New information shows that how intensely you taste certain flavors affects how healthy you are. Scientists are using the term "supertaster" to describe the one in four people who are born with extra taste buds. For these people, things like vegetables often taste overly bitter so they avoid them, while chili peppers taste hotter and sugar tastes sweeter. As researcher Dr. Linda Bartoshuk put it, "They live in a neon taste world."

Other people, being referred to as "nontasters", can't even detect some flavors and prefer the flavors of sweets, alcohol, and fatty foods. And these differences in taste preferences can lead to health consequences down the road. For instance, supertasters often have a higher rate of colon cancer while the fatty preferences of the nontaster can lead to heart disease.

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Tags: taste, taste buds, TasteBuds

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Eliot Phillips 11-21-2006 @ 4:53PM

I've been interested in this topic for a long time. Alcoholics are almost always nontasters because the bitterness of beer isn't as extreme to them as most people. For the same reason women are less likely to be alcoholics because women are more likely to be supertasters than men.

Deborah Carter 12-03-2006 @ 3:12PM

In college I was given a piece of paper to chew into a spit wad in a genetics class. I like to never got that taste out of my mouth! Now at fifty I like broccoli raw. Also in my college days I could taste the alcohol in anything and beer was one of the grossest things I ever tried to drink. I'm still not particularly interested in drinking.

Wendy 12-03-2006 @ 2:59PM

Your discription of supertaster fits me to a "T". Child of an alcoholic, tasted father's booze early on and recoiled from the bitterness. No chance of me becomming alcoholic, most alcohol taste to horrible to me. Wines too vinegary, beer too bitter, whisky to acid. I have been known to say, "only alcohol I can tolerate is a mixed drink that taste like candy". Had to teach myself to eat veggies for health benefits, they also taste bitter. Reaching age 60 was a blessing due to fact that taste buds dull a bit for everyone at that age. For a supertaster it means you can finally eat some Mexican food. PS my alcoholic father was probably a non taster, always dumping hot sauce and salt on things trying to taste something, anything. He would eat jars of pickled food because he could taste it. God rest his soul. PPS they should do a study about genetic relationships to taste and smoking. I will say in advance if you are a nontaster smoking will make it worse.

solarstorms 12-03-2006 @ 4:09PM

There is overlap, as well. Genetically, having taste buds of various kinds, therefore some people that do not enjoy any sweet whatsoever, but still have the preference for fats. But that also may be due to the predisposition to hoard fats, in time of famine, the so called "fat tooth"... Brain chemistry also plays a part in this fascinating biochemistry. Fascinating.

Kim 12-03-2006 @ 3:21PM

As a clinically morbidly obese person, these findings are important and interesting. I enjoy high fat and rich tasting foods. I usually shy away from veggies or fruits. That said, however, I don't enjoy the taste of many kinds of alcohol because I find the alcohol taste to be too strong and bitter. Does this mean I'm situationally a supertaster? I don't know. I do think though, that if drug companies could find a way to develop some sort of tastebud desensitizer that had lasting results- I'd find it easy to drop the pounds. I eat for taste- period.

Karl Rominger 12-03-2006 @ 4:26PM

Makes sense, as different taste preferences amongst a species ensures individuals utilize more of the available food sources.

MAK 12-03-2006 @ 8:12PM

I have notice that with age my sense of smell has declined and this affects taste. As women "change" so does their sense of smell
and there is a higher incidence of both abovementioned disease states occuring. There must be an overlap. I also think we glut our senses with too much food and this dulls out taste and smell and causes us to eat more. For instance, I notice the less I eat and the more I allow my body to give me hunger cues, the more flavorful the food and the less I weigh. If I'm constantly feeding, I don't get the cues, I gain weight and food tastes blander which causes me to reach for even more and richer or spicier foods. Key here is moderation. ANyone else notice this? Test it out. ;-)

Mel 12-03-2006 @ 4:36PM

Wow! This is fascinating to me. I wonder if this also could effect the sense of smell? I can taste things that others can't, so I am able to copy almost any recipe that I taste. (one plus) But, I can also smell things that others don't seem to be able to smell & almost instantaneously.(which sometimes is not such a plus). Interesting! And, by the way, I am almost 60.

karen griffith 12-08-2006 @ 10:47PM

And here I thought I was odd because my first choice in food is sweets while at the same time I tell folks I cannot taste whatever I'm eating. It's merely a texture in my mouth, so very rarely with any flavor -- unless sweet! There appears to be hundreds, nay, thousands like me afterall!

Janet 12-03-2006 @ 5:45PM

This is very interesting to me. The tasting and sense of smell obviously have a direct link . I know that I myself am a "non-taster." I thrive on hot and spicy foods...I love a good red wine, but oddly, beer is too sweet for me. But currently, I am suffering from a three week long sinus infection...I cannot smell much of anything, and therefore, my sense of taste is dulled beyond belief. Because of this, my appetite is null, and I have lost about eight pounds. Perhaps medical researchers could develop a drug for the obese that could temporarily dull the sense of smell for those folks, and it would make weight loss a bit easier. Right now, I only eat when I am absolutely famished....and it doesn't take much to fill me up....when you don't enjoy it...why keep eating! :) Just food (ha ha) for thought.

monte 12-03-2006 @ 5:48PM

most things taste too salty to me. alcohol tastes like vinegar.
however i love veggies, they taste sharp and clean. i guess i am lucky

Mary 12-03-2006 @ 6:01PM

I have noticed my sense of taste is not like when I was younger, guess its just another sigh of old age, one taste to the lips and enternity to the hips, I just keep on eating because, ? Bored? Stressed? I really do not need a reason.

Jill 12-03-2006 @ 6:14PM

I couldnt agree more! The older I have become the more of a healthy living I have adapted...the more developed my sense of smell and taste have become...alcohol even in minut amounts tastes disgusting no matter what fruit or mixer used to disguise it! The smell of fresh vegitables especially broccoli makes my mouth water!!Everything that has had salt added to it is foul and sickening....I am definately a Supertaster...in an world of over salted over pickled and alcohol induted society!!

Jill 12-03-2006 @ 6:15PM

Your comments: I couldnt agree more! The older I have become the more of a healthy
living I have adapted...the more developed my sense of smell and
taste have become...alcohol even in minut amounts tastes disgusting
no matter what fruit or mixer used to disguise it! The smell of fresh
vegitables especially broccoli makes my mouth water!!Everything that
has had salt added to it is foul and sickening....I am definately a
Supertaster...in an world of over salted over pickled and alcohol
induted society!!

Kat 12-03-2006 @ 6:27PM

This is very interesting. I used to love sweets as a kid; now I rarely eat them. They're too sweet! I do love raw veggies, and fruit, but also fatty foods. When I get a cold, and lose my sense of smell, I don't enjoy food at all. Alcohol? Ugh! Which does this make me? Super- or nontaster?

Ellen 12-03-2006 @ 7:01PM

DUH!

Carolyn 12-03-2006 @ 7:04PM

Back in the 70's I had a virus that took away my sense of taste and smell. It took almost a year for it to return. From what I was told by doctors this is a very rare situation. I did lose weight because everything had a "burned taste." I could taste these sensations: salt, sweet, bitter and sour.. but I could taste no flavors. It was a very depressing situation I found myself in. I took vitamin C with zinc every day. Gradually in a little over a year my taste began to return. Now I crave foods like ripe tomatoes, chocolate, sweet pickles, avocados, and lemons. Sometimes my favorite drink is ice water with lemon in it.. No sugar. I still have no desire to drink alcohol in any form.

Kevin 12-03-2006 @ 7:27PM

The study is interesting however most of you seem to have misconceptions about alcohol. Beer is not just sour. Most American beer is like budweiser, miller, etc. There are many types of beer and different brewing processes. Some beers have a nutty flavor while others are sweet the list is long look and try before making rash judgements. Good wines are the same some are very sweet and do not taste in the least like vineger. Dont believe everything you hear and only half what you see!!

Richard Cox 12-03-2006 @ 7:30PM

Having completed radiation treatments to my throat about 6 months ago, the taste buds in the back of my toungue were destroyed. I would think this would make me a "nontaster". I now eat a glazed donut and taste the flour, no sweetness. I eat a steak and it tastes sour. Salads taste reasonably as I remember sans dressing. Spicy foods(which I used to like the taste of) are now so hot as to be uncomfortable to eat. So, this does not totally agree with your theory.

John 12-03-2006 @ 7:31PM

Any wine no matter how good it's supposed to be tastes like vinegar to me. Beer is bitter. I prefer mixed drinks but I almost never drink alcohol anyway. I love strong flavored foods (I can't eat really spicy foods because I have reflux) but I also like vegetables as long as they are aren't served plain. I like most fruit except for sour fruit (grapefruit and cranberries are extremely sour to me and I also avoid lemons and limes). I have practically an insatiable sweet tooth and rarely find something I consider too sweet. I am only 42 and I have not noticed a lessening of my taste buds over time (yet). I do tend to overeat because I really enjoy good food.

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