Low-salt foods may taste more salty to some people than others. This is indicated by an investigation carried out by scientists from Pennsylvania State University (USA) and published in the journalPhysiology & Behavior, which points out howgenetics has its part of influence on the amount of salt we like in food.
The research involved 87 participants, ages 20 to 40, who tasted salty foods over several weeks. Taste intensity was rated on a scale commonly used by scientists, ranging from barely detectable sensation to the most intense sensation, whatever its type.
“Most of us like the taste of salt. However,some people take more salt because they like the taste of salty foods better and also because they need it to mask other unpleasant flavorsof meals ?, says John Hayes, lead author of the study. “Thesupercatadores, people who experience taste in a more intense way,consume more salt than those who have less developed sense of taste. The predominant flavor of the appetizers is salty and, at least in these foods, the more salt the better, so it seems that this type of food is more liked by super-tasters, “he continues.
However, these people also need higher levels of salt to hide the bitter and unpleasant tastes of foods like cheese. ? Cheese is a fantastic combination of dairy flavors from fermented milk and bitter flavors from ripening that are masked by salt. A super-taster finds a low-salt cheese unpleasant because it emphasizes the bitter taste more ,? says Hayes.
Diets high in salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Currently in some countries such as the USA.you consume double or triple the amount of salt recommended for health. That’s why John Hayes advises reducing your salt intake by reading food labels and looking for products that contain less than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving.
The supercatadores
? Supersweepers describe bitter foods as extremely bitter, while others find those same bitter components tasteless or only slightly bitter. People who perceive the bitter taste more also perceive more the salty taste of table salt, the sweet taste of commonly used sugar, the spiciness of chilli and the tingle of carbonated drinks.?
According to Hayes, it isas if supercatators see food in vivid colors, while others see it in pastel color. “People with an underdeveloped sense of taste are more likely to add more salt to meals at the table because they need more salt to perceive it with the same intensity as a super-taster. However, most of the salt we consume comes from the one that is added to prepared meals and not from the salt shaker “, he concludes.
