[ad_1]
A spicy compound present in the spice may be an answer, according to a new study. The study revealed that the spicy compound – 6-gingerol – stimulates the enzymes contained in saliva that break down foul-smelling substances in the mouth, ensuring a fresh breath and a better aftertaste.
The spicy principle of ginger makes the enzyme sulfhydryl oxidase 1 in saliva increase by 16 times in seconds, said the researcher. Saliva and respiration badyzes performed on human volunteers showed that the enzyme decomposed malodorous compounds containing sulfides.
"Our breathing is also more fragrant," says Thomas Hofmann, lead author of the Technical University of Munich in Germany.
Researchers have reported that many food components contribute directly to the characteristic taste of foods and beverages by contributing to their own taste, smell or pungency.
To learn more about food components, the research team studied effects of dietary components on dissolved molecules in saliva.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, also suggested that citric acid increases the sodium ion content of saliva, making salty foods less salty. Citric acid influences our perception of taste through a completely different mechanism, the researchers said.
As everyone knows from personal experience, acidic foods like lemon juice stimulate salivation. The amount of minerals dissolved in saliva also increases in proportion to the amount of saliva they added.
The level of sodium ions in saliva rises rapidly by about a factor of eleven after stimulation with citric acid. According to the researcher, this effect makes us less sensitive to table salt. "Table salt is nothing but sodium chloride, and sodium ions play a key role in the taste of salt," he adds. already contains higher concentrations of sodium ions, the tasted samples must have a significantly higher salt content to have a relatively salty taste, "he adds
Source: Shutterstock
Published: 31 July 2018 15:46
Source link
