Supertasters Need More Salt

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.A new study shows that some individuals need a higher degree of salt in their foods in order to block the unpleasant tastes they get from other food items.

These so-called supertasters experience tastes more intensely, something that may be influenced by their individual genetics, the study says.

"Most of us like the taste of salt. However, some individuals eat more salt, both because they like the taste of saltiness more, and also because it is needed to block other unpleasant tastes in food," said John Hayes, assistant professor of food science, Penn State. "Supertasters, people who experience tastes more intensely, consume more salt than do nontasters.

Supertasters, for example, need higher levels of salt to block unpleasant bitter tastes in foods such as cheese, Hayes noted.

The research involved 87 participants (45 men and 42 women) ranging in age from 20 to 40 years. The participants sampled regular and low-salt versions of such foods as chips, pretzels, cheese, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Data was collected in three laboratory sessions, usually one week apart. The testers used a standard scientific taste scale to differentiate degrees of taste from barely detectable to very strong.

Supertasters live in a neon food world, Valerie Duffy, professor of allied health science, University of Connecticut. Nontasters, on the other extreme, live in a pastel food world. Interestingly, nontasters may be more likely to add salt to foods because they need more salt to reach the same level of salt as a supertaster.

The study, a collaboration between Hayes, Duffy, and Bridget S. Sullivan, Master's graduate, University of Connecticut, appears in the June 16 issue of Physiology & Behavior.