We all know that the human tongue is capable of detecting five flavors:sour, bitter, sweet, salty and umami(rich in protein and present in sauces of oriental cuisine such as soy sauce). But now Russell Keast and his colleagues at Deakin University in Melbourne (Australia) claim to have foundthe sixth flavor in the fat.
To prove this, Keast analyzed 50 subjects in order to determine their ability to detect the fat content in different types of food. The scientists proved that some subjects were more sensitive to the fatty taste, and that thisability to detect it is linked to your weight and body fat percentage“The subjects more sensitive to fats, who detect them in low concentrations in food, consume less amounts and are thinner than those who have difficulties to detect it,” explains Keast, who assures that the latter have a clear tendency to obesity . His hypothesis is that some people lose their sensitivity to fat when they consume too much because the body adjusts to the high fat content of the diet. And this makes them more inclined to consume foods rich in calories.
“We all like to eat fatty foods. What we wonder is if we could take advantage of these physiological mechanisms to curb the urge to eat them compulsively in certain subjects,” reflects Keats, who has published the study’s findings in the journalBritish Journal of Nutrition.
However, Keast’s work is not enough to officially classify fat as a new flavor. For this to happen it is necessaryprove that there are specific receptorsfor the greasy taste in the mouth. “We already have some candidate cells to act as receptors”, has advanced Keast, who is determined to continue researching on this subject.
