26 August, 2017
Experts suggest that coffee may momentarily affect our taste buds' ability to experience sweetness and most may end up finding a perfectly sweet food item less sweet; this may make candies consumption more desirable to satiate the palate.
Coffee is the power charger of body and gives a kick-start to the day. The substance had no effect on the coffee's sweetness, sourness or saltiness.
Given the potential health benefits of coffee consumption, it is no wonder we can't seem to get enough. The researchers say this points to caffeine actually changing how your taste buds perceive flavors.
The new study from Dando and colleagues, however, suggests that we should be cautious of what we are eating alongside our cup of joe, as the beverage may increase our preference for sugary treats.
"I think the fact that you may be changing how your food tastes if you drink it with coffee is an interesting offshoot of this", one of the study's authors, Robin Dando, told Gizmodo.
The researchers analysed 107 volunteers.
If you've ever had the feeling that food doesn't taste quite as flavorful after drinking a cup of coffee, new research backs you up. Both groups had sugar added.
Additionally, after consuming a sucrose solution, participants who consumed caffeinated coffee said the solution tasted less sweet, compared with those who drank decaffeinated coffee. Suppressing the receptors awakens people but decreases their ability to taste sweetness - which, ironically, may make them desire it more. The participants who had the caffeinated coffee rated it as less sweet than those drinking decaf, even though the amount of sugar was the same in cup. The first received an otherwise decaffeinated coffee with a 200mg caffeine supplement, making it strong.
The study also turned up about another surprising finding: The researchers had their subjects record how alert they felt after drinking each type of coffee, both caffeinated and decaffeinated. After drinking their coffee, the participants were asked to report their level of alertness and estimate the amount of caffeine in their coffee.
The team believes that the trial may have discovered a sort of placebo or conditioning effect tied to the act of drinking coffee.
"The act of drinking coffee - with the aroma and taste - is usually followed by alertness".
Regardless of whether they drank the caffeine or not, the volunteers all said they experienced the same boost in alertness and few were able to accurately determine the level of caffeine in their drinks. "Just the action of thinking that you have done the things that make you feel more awake, makes you feel more awake", Dando noted.
