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TASTE OF SODIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS AFTER ADAPTATION TO SODIUM CHLORIDE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE "WATER TASTE"
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 28, 1964
Summary
Adapting the human tongue to salt solutions changes taste perception. Previously salty solutions become tasteless, while weaker ones taste sour or bitter, and stronger ones taste sweet.
Area of Science:
- Sensory science
- Gustation research
- Human taste perception
Background:
- Taste perception is influenced by prior exposure.
- Sodium chloride (NaCl) is a fundamental taste stimulus.
- Understanding taste adaptation is key to gustatory science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how adapting the human tongue to sodium chloride solutions affects subsequent taste quality perception.
- To determine if taste perception changes for solutions both above and below the adapting concentration.
Main Methods:
- Human subjects underwent adaptation to specific concentrations of sodium chloride solutions.
- Participants then reported the perceived taste quality of various sodium chloride solutions.
- Taste qualities assessed included salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.
Main Results:
- Adapting solutions were perceived as tasteless after adaptation.
- Solutions weaker than the adapting concentration were reported as sour or bitter.
- Solutions stronger than the adapting concentration were perceived as sweet or salty.
Conclusions:
- Taste perception of sodium chloride solutions is highly specific and dependent on prior adaptation.
- Water and sodium chloride solution taste is dynamic, not fixed.
- Sensory adaptation significantly alters gustatory perception.
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