14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers with Australia's Deakin University claim to have found evidence that, contrary to what most people assume, fat isn't just the stuff hamburgers, bacon and fries are made of.
In a nutshell, these brainiacs say that fat has its own, unique way to stimulate our senses. Specifically, it triggers very specific sensations when coming into contact with our tongue.
Because of this, the researchers insist that fat should be considered a taste, just like sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami. That's right, they say that fat should be classified as our sixth primary taste.
In case anyone was wondering, umami is a taste triggered by glutamates, which are the main components of proteins. It is the distinct flavor of meat, if you will.
Going back to fat and how we respond to it, it must be said that, as pointed out by the Deakin University scientists, this supposed sixth taste is not so much a taste as it is a sensation.
Hence the fact that, whenever we eat diet foods, we can always tell the difference between them and the real deal, even if the waistline-friendly treats contain just the right amount of sugar or salt.
“Fat taste is not like sweet or salty where there is conscious perception associated with eating sugar or table salt. Fat taste is unconscious, it is different from the food without the fatty acid but is difficult to describe,” says specialist Russell Keast.
Interestingly enough, the specialists now claiming that fat is a taste believe that their study into how we humans respond to fatty foods could help curb global obesity rates by paving the way for the baking of better-tasting diet snacks.