Recent research by two Danish scientists may be the reason why many people like to eat chocolate with coffee.
Two Danish scientists from Aarhus University recently found new features of bitterness in coffee. Accordingly, the bitterness in coffee can make a person more sensitive to the sweetness.
According to Newatlas, to test the effects of coffee on taste and smell, the researchers invited 156 volunteers. After the tests to choose the level of taste, the volunteers drank a warm espresso. Immediately afterwards, all subjects would have a small glass of water to clear the taste on the tongue before the second attempt.
Results showed that there was no change in the sense of smell after this test. But research has found that sweetness is “increased” many times after a person drinks coffee. “When people were tested after drinking coffee, they became more sensitive to sweetness and less susceptible to bitterness,” said Alexander Wieck Fjældstad, co-author of the study.
This is a very surprising result because previous studies have shown that tasting bitter will inhibit the ability to perceive sweetness. For example, caffeine and quinine, two key compounds in coffee, have been previously found to inhibit the activity of certain sweet-sensing receptors on the tongue.
The team then conducted a second experiment with decaffeinated coffee and received similar results. This shows that caffeine does not necessarily play a role in changing taste after drinking coffee.
Fjældstad asserts: “We all know that the senses interact. But it is surprising that the taste of sweetness and bitterness is so easily affected. Perhaps some of the bitter substances in coffee has created this effect. “
However, the study by two Danish scientists is not focused on why coffee makes special changes in taste sensitivity. But they gave a note of differences in their research with previous studies. Clearly, substances that produce bitterness are not the leading causes of sweetness inhibition.
Besides, the two scientists said that research has explained why many people like to eat chocolate and coffee. In particular, it has provided new insights into the level of human taste perception. In addition, research shows that certain types of food additives can increase the sense of sweetness without increasing the sugar content of foods.
Fjældstad emphasizes: “Research in this area is really meaningful to us because it helps regulate the way we use sugar and sweeteners as food additives. It will help to supplement the knowledge for overweight and diabetic groups can reduce the amount of sugar and calories in food “.
