Picky eaters can be a pain. But scientists have begun to recognize that genes are to blame for the behavior of some finicky diners.
Linda Bartoshuk, a Yale University taste researcher, identified a group called “supertasters” who are extremely sensitive to certain flavors, especially bitter and spicy ones. And there are more of them out there than you may realize.
25% of people are considered supertasters (very high taste sensitivity), while 50% are normal tasters (average taste sensitivity) and 25% are non-tasters (very low taste sensitivity).
35% of females are considered supertasters while only 10% of males are.
Supertasters have around 30 taste buds per square centimeter on their tongues; non-tasters have only 5, and normal tasters fall somewhere in between.
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