Saliva does more than just keep your mouth feeling comfortable and lubricated. Scientists are finding that the reason we can taste something is because of the material it contains.

Saliva doesn’t seem like a very interesting thing. It’s just something we use to make our food moister. Scientists are starting to realise, though, that their ideas are not even close to the truth.

The fluid mixes with everything that goes into the mouth. Even more surprising is the fact that it’s 99% water. Also, it has a big effect on how things taste and how much we enjoy them.

This happens because the fluid reacts with everything that goes into the mouth.

What are tastants?

Tastants are the chemical components of taste.

Key facts!

• Saliva is used for many things, and scientists have known about some of them for a long time.
• For example, it helps keep teeth from getting cavities, makes it easier to talk, and gets the mouth ready for food.
• Recent research, however, has shown that saliva can also act as a bridge and a translator.
• It changes how food moves through our mouths and how it makes us feel.
• New information also suggests that the way saliva interacts with food may even help us decide what kind of food we want to eat.
• The enzymes in the fluid also help the digestion process.
• The water and salivary proteins in the fluid make each mouthful of food easier to chew.
• In addition, saliva can also help you tell the difference between foods that are high in fat and those that are low in fat.
• Saliva also has a big effect on how something feels, and it is the most important factor.
• In a broader sense, learning more about how saliva affects taste could lead to a wide range of new ways to get people to eat healthy foods that they usually don’t like.

Related Articles

• World Oral Health Day!
• Saliva secrets!
• National Dentist’s Day!

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