Taste detection threshold: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Minimum concentration of a flavoured substance detectable by the sense of taste}}

'''Taste detection threshold''' is the minimum concentration of a [[Flavour (taste)|flavour]]ed substance detectable by the [[sense of taste]]. [[Sweetness]] detection thresholds are usually measured relative to that of [[sucrose]], [[sourness]] relative to dilute [[hydrochloric acid]], [[saltiness]] relative to table salt ([[NaCl]]), and [[Bitter (taste)|bitterness]] to [[quinine]].<ref name="McLaughlin&Margolskee">{{cite journal |date=November–December 1994 |author1= McLaughlin, Susan |author2= Margolskee, Rorbert F. |title= The Sense of Taste |journal= [[American Scientist]] |volume= 82 |issue= 6 |pages= 538–545|bibcode= 1994AmSci..82..538M }}</ref> These substances have a reference index of 1. Thresholds for bitter substances can be considerableconsiderably lower than those for other flavoured substances, this may be due to the importance of ingesting large amounts of energy-rich or salty food while avoiding even small quantities of [[poisonous]] substances, which are often bitter.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10833/ | title=Taste Perception in Humans | year=2001 | last1=Purves | first1=Dale | last2=Augustine | first2=George J. | last3=Fitzpatrick | first3=David | last4=Katz | first4=Lawrence C. | last5=Lamantia | first5=Anthony-Samuel | last6=McNamara | first6=James O. | last7=Williams | first7=S. Mark | publisher=Sinauer Associates }}</ref>

Variation in sensitivity among individuals plays a role in dietary selection and there is evidence that diet reciprocally affects taste sensitivity. One study found that non-[[Vegetarianism|vegetarians]] had less sensitivity to sweetness while vegetarians had higher sensitivity to [[caffeine]], a bitter substance.<ref>{{Cite journal|pmid = 34828985|year = 2021|last1 = Jalil Mozhdehi|first1 = F.|last2 = Abeywickrema|first2 = S.|last3 = Bremer|first3 = P. J.|last4 = Peng|first4 = M.|title = Comparing Taste Detection Thresholds across Individuals Following Vegan, Vegetarian, or Omnivore Diets|journal = Foods (Basel, Switzerland)|volume = 10|issue = 11|page = 2704|doi = 10.3390/foods10112704|pmc = 8619387|doi-access = free}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[{{annotated link|Odor detection threshold]]}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Gustation]]

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