Just for the Taste of it

ThinkstockPhotos-478937693The next time you sit down to enjoy your favorite tasting food or beverage, remember to thank your taste buds.

Here are some fun facts about those tiny sensory organs that allow you to experience everything sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

• See those tiny bumps on your tongue? Those are NOT your taste buds. They are called papillae and they contain taste buds inside them. You can’t actually see your taste buds.

• Taste buds are not the only part of your body responsible for detecting flavor. Olfactory receptors in your nose help you smell. They send messages to your brain and work together with your taste buds to create your sense of taste.

• Contrary to what you learned as a kid, different parts of your tongue aren’t responsible for detecting specific flavors. All regions of the tongue can detect all tastes, although some areas are more sensitive to certain flavors.

• Taste buds aren’t just on your tongue. They can also be found on the roof of your mouth and in your throat. We all have different amount of taste buds, but most people have 10,000 on average.

• Taste buds only live approximately 10 – 14 days. We constantly regenerate new taste buds, but fewer taste buds grow back as we get older.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.