Bitter or sweet? The same taste bud can tell the difference
The tongue's ability to differentiate between sweet and bitter tastes may reside in the same taste bud cells, a new study reports....Variation in bitter-taste receptor gene increases risk for alcoholism
A team of researchers, led by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has found that a gene variant for a bitter-taste receptor on the tongue is associated with an increased risk for alcohol dependence.The research team studied DNA samples from 262 families, all of which have at least three alcoholic individuals. The families are participating in a national study c...Bitter taste identifies poisons in foods
Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center report that bitter taste perception of vegetables is influenced by an interaction between variants of taste genes and the presence of naturally-occurring toxins in a given vegetable. The study appears in the September 19 issue of Current Biology. Scientists have long assumed that bitter taste evolved as a defense mechanism to detect potential...HPLC/MS/MS Analysis of Bitter Acids in Hops and Beer
Beer represents one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Its annual worldwide production, measured in hundreds of millions of hectoliters, is a testimony to its popularity. While there are many different types of beer, all share one underlying characteristic taste, bitterness. Beer derives its...Sweet Candies replace bitter Pills for Anaemia
Anaemia due to iron deficiency is one of the major cause of morbidity in most of the underdeveloped countries. Children with iron deficiency anemia may be reluctant to take extra vitamins or iron pills, as they are inadvertently inedible. But now Iron-fortified candies were effective for improving the iron status of young children and might be an affordable way to combat iron deficiency...Pharmacies in for a dose of bitter medicine
In a long-delayed move, the Foods and Drugs Department is beginning to bare its fangs at chemists and druggists operating without qualified pharmacists, an offence under the Indian Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. According to official sources, not only does this common practice jeopardise the health of the masses -- it allows untrained people to deal with high-risk drugs -- it also end...Genetic Variation In Bitter-Taste Receptor Gene Increases Alcoholic Risk
The risk for alcohol dependence is greatly increased if an individual has a variant form of a gene that controls the bitter-taste receptor on the tongue // . The taste receptor gene, called TAS2R16 is located on chromosome 7. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have studied more than 262 DNA samples, before arriving at the conclusion. Each of the family partic...Allergy Alarm: Sam's Choice Milk Chocolate Turns Bitter with Undisclosed 'Nuts'
Brach's Confections, Inc. of Dallas, Texas are tough nuts to crack, indeed. Presently, they have withdrawn a batch of production of Sam's Choice Belgian Milk Chocolate Bars,// due to the presence of undeclared almonds. This is a precautionary measure to ensure safety for all those who are allergic to almonds that may cause a life threatening reaction upon consumption. Wal-Mart stores...