Everyone wishes they could trick themselves into thinking vegetables taste like their favorite dessert. Well, researchers are trying to make that a reality.
A group including bench neuroscientists, chefs, and clinical neurologists are exploring brain behavior, according to a news release from the University of Kentucky. They are attempting to change the way the brain – specifically olfactory functionality -- interprets the foods we eat.
The main way in which this can be achieved is through a new test, called “The Kentucky Assay,” which can identify specific receptors in the nose that responds to odors that influence taste, according to the release.
If the group is successful, the research could help people beyond vegetable haters.
"The potential applications for this are extensive," Dan Han, a co-founder of the International Society of Neurogastronomy, said in the release. "Just about everybody knows someone who's had cancer, Parkinson's disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, or some other neurological impairment, and these patients usually have altered sense of smell or taste as a result. To be able to help these people have continued quality of life despite their condition should be an important part of our clinical practice."
