More details about bitter taste perception

A good way of testing is case of tasting 6-N-propylthiouracl (PROP). To some people very low concentrations of PROP are very bitter, while others do not detect it or detection is very weak. In general, the data saying that 75% of all people taste PROP and the other 25% do not holds true. We do not find PROP in the natural environment; however, the ability to taste this substance is mostly in close correlation with tasting other related bitter substances which we can find in broccoli, cabbage, coffee, tonic water and some beers. An example of this compound are glucosinolates. In nature there are thousands of other substances with a bitter taste. People have around 30 genes, which encode receptors for bitter and each of these receptors recognise related substances. This is why not all bitter foods are the same as we are capable of differentiating from many types of bitter taste.

It is known that glucosinolates can be toxic. They have had an effect on the metabolism of iodine, which can lead to problems with the glandula thyroidea. This is why animals developed receptors for recognising these substances. Why it is then that so many people do not recognise glucosinolates? Non-tasters probably have the ability to recognise some other toxic substances, which brought them an evolutional advantage. Heterozygous individuals that have C variation on one chromosome and G variation on the other chromosome in this gene have thus double sensing ability.

Tasting connected with alcohol and cigarettes

Parents want only the best for their kids but unfortunately the youth rarely listen to the advice and warnings. More and more young children are using cigarettes and alcohol and these bad habits can lead to serious addictions. However, people's inclinations towards cigarettes and alcohol can be predicted!
Amongst chain and also infrequent smokers, there is much more of a percentage of those, which do not taste PROP. Many people with better bitter taste perception find cigarette smoke too bitter and this is why nicotine addiction is a lot less frequent among them. The same was also seen with alcohol.

Back to basic description