Blog #1 -- Taste Buds

Did you know that taste is the weakest of our five senses?

This is because; when we were babies we had taste buds not only on our tongue, but on the roof and sides of our mouths as well. As we began to grow older, those taste buds have disappeared leaving taste buds mostly on our tongue, which will become even less sensitive with age, allowing us to eat the foods we thought we would never like.

Taste buds are sensory organs that allow us to recognize four basic kinds of taste such as: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The sweet and salty taste buds are located near the front of our tongue, the sour taste buds line the sides of our tongue, and the bitter taste buds are found at the back of our tongue. Our taste buds are embedded in the little bumps on our tongue, known as Papillae. Each taste bud contains Microvilli, which are very sensitive microscopic hairs that send messages to our brain about how something tastes. On average, each person has about 10,000 taste buds that are replaced every 2 or 3 weeks. The older the person gets the less of those taste cells are replaced, leaving an average elderly person with about 5,000 working taste buds. Smoking, lack of vitamins, brain injuries or tumors, some medications, chemical exposure and the effects of radiation, along with much more could also cause lack of taste buds, resulting in taste disorders. That’s why it’s important to take good care of yourself so your life remains full of flavor! :)