These past few weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least. I'm finishing up a manuscript (thankfully, I work with the most empathetic dissertator in the world), writing articles for HSW and class, and reading more than my eyes will tolerate -- let's just say I've got a new friend named Systane.
Thankfully, though, things are settling down. Here's a highlight from my daily browsing.
Taste Buds in the Lungs?
...until I read an article from BBC News linking taste bud research with possible asthma treatments. Essentially, scientists have found that types of "taste receptors" -- not necessarily the same kind you'd find on your tongue -- line the smooth muscle of the lungs. Despite not sending messages to the brain, the writer reports, these taste buds still react to bitter-tasting compounds by opening up the body's airways.
So can eating bitter foods do the trick for people with asthma?
No -- if you really want to subject yourself to broccoli, go for it. It's very nutritious, I'm sure. (Though I'm still grappling with why nutritious foods can't taste like River Street Sweets pralines).
Rather than ingested, the bitter compounds need to be inhaled. The group found promising results in mice, and scientists in the article seem to be excited about the finding, suggesting bitter compounds may enhance existing inhaler treatments in the future.
I think this article is interesting because I didn't expect to be surprised by such a basic discovery of physiology. I'd be particularly interested to see if the detection of bitter compounds (in the lungs) varies in the same way detection on the tongue differs among individuals. Concerning bitter taste, some people are "supertasters," while others are "non-tasters." It's probable that these traits have genetic roots, but it's interesting to research how they evolved (e.g., to avoid ingesting toxic foods).
Yet evolutionarily-speaking, the lungs' tendency to expand the airway when faced bitter compounds seems counterintuitive, especially considering the the natural relationship between bitterness and toxicity. The body's first reaction to toxic and/or bitter compounds is to expel the substance, not give it a surer way in. I'll definitely follow this topic in the future to read more about why people think taste buds in the lungs evolved to act in such a way.
For anyone interested, here's the study, which was conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
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