Expert Debunks 4 Taste-Related “Facts” That Are Actually Myths

Discover how some supposed facts about taste are nothing but myths.

November 2019 – With globalization, physical and communication barriers have been broken, creating a new dynamic in the flow of information. At the same time, fact-checking can sometimes become secondary, influencing the creation of common beliefs and fueling myths.

Aiming to demystify false information, Hellen Maluly, PhD in Food Science from the Umami Committee, debunks four myths related to the human sense of taste.

There Are 4 Basic Tastes
Until the 2000s, information commonly referenced four tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Until then, many were unaware of umami, the fifth basic taste of the human palate. Hellen explains that umami was discovered by Kikunae Ikeda in 1908, but only from the 21st century onward was it recognized by the scientific community as a taste. “Umami provides a new gustatory characteristic and is present in many everyday foods such as tomatoes, carrots, corn, and cheeses. Moreover, including umami foods in meals brings many health benefits, such as better food acceptance among children and the elderly, support for oral hygiene through increased salivation, and improved protein digestion.”

The Tongue Map Exists
When tasting a new dish, it’s common to feel sensations across the entire tongue. This happens because, when we ingest foods that are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or umami, the tongue can identify them. However, Hellen Maluly explains that the concept of a map that defines where each taste is identified is erroneous. “The idea that the tongue has specific regions that are stimulated depending on the substance in contact is not true. The tongue is made up of taste buds with specific receptors distributed across its entire surface, so we can perceive the five tastes throughout the tongue. In addition, we can modulate our palate through experience. The more varied the diet, the less monotonous our palate becomes,” she emphasizes.

Flavor and Taste Are the Same Thing
Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami: these are the five tastes the human palate can identify. Hellen explains that each is detected by receptors in the taste buds which, upon identifying the taste, send the information to the brain. “Flavor, however, involves the effects caused by all the senses, including vision, smell, touch, and even hearing, since their combination can heighten perceptions and create distinct sensations,” Hellen explains.

Monosodium Glutamate Causes Headaches
First produced in 1909 and helpful for reducing sodium, monosodium glutamate (MSG) has often been linked to migraine. However, after multiple studies and scientific evidence, the International Headache Society—an organization with approximately 1,300 health professionals—removed MSG from its list of substances that trigger headache symptoms in its 2018 publication. “There is no scientific evidence confirming that monosodium glutamate causes migraine,” she notes.

UMAMI
It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste in the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are increased salivation and the persistence of taste for a few minutes after ingestion. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.