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🕑 Added 2023-03-13 19:33:56 +0000 UTCAn ability to sense (and avoid) bitterness evolved because it kept us safe from nasty plant-produced toxins. So why are bitter things - from coffee to chocolate to beer - some of our favorite foods these days?
Here's early access to our newest video! We'd love to hear your take on bitter flavors.
-Kate
Comments
This is a REALLY interesting question. There's a lot of research that's found that kids like sour stuff more than adults, but researchers are still working on WHY that is! This paper has some interesting hypotheses, including that it's related to novelty-seeking behavior or dietary diversity: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2789429/
stolenshortsword
ooh, this one I'm very curious about. my mother grew up hating bitter melon, but now sees it as a treat - that comment that as you age your bitter reception lose power really rings true. conversely, I adore sour candy, but she hates it. I'm quite youthful myself, although she used to tolerate sourness more when she was younger. she makes a distinctive 'sour' face (like the bitter one) whenever she tries lemon gelato or something. is there a similar genetic reason for this - where sour receptors get more powerful with age?
