The concept
The concept of diet has evolved a long way based on various concepts like taste, availability, culture, geography, therapy, etc. But when this evolution is reviewed, it can be observed that these preferences are bad on the hedonistic choices - making us “feel good” about food.
This feeling of goodness is a process of natural selection, primarily guided by our gustatory perception, helping us make healthier nutritional or dietary choices. Though all our gustatory organ is the same, we all have different palates. We tend to choose instinctively about the food we would like to taste. Ancient medicinal herbs were also chosen instinctively using a specific set of cognitive skills and have shown to have specific therapeutic values based on their tastes. This ability is not limited merely to humans, but animals have also been their own doctors in their sickness by nibbling on to specific herbs selected by them which have been observed to cure their illness.
The Explanation
The fact that we have so many different plant products on earth and many are not consumed may be due to the evolutionary concept of neophobia- the tendency to avoid unfamiliar food, which has helped us develop our palates accordingly. The food which makes us feel pleasant on the whole became our preference contrary to the ones that caused an unpleasant feeling, in spite of being superior in quality. This also shows the individuality of gustatory perception and hence taste perceptions must not be generalized.
If taste is a mere gustatory perception, why does it produce effects all over the body? As in, we feel happy when we consume certain sweets, sweat when we eat hot/ spicy items, etc.Taste is not merely the gustatory perception, but it is the effect of the chemicals in the food substance on the receptors of the body. So that means the primary taste perception occurs on the tongue but the rest of the gustatory perception occurs in other parts of the digestive tract.
When we see, smell or even think of our favourite food, our tongue starts to salivate. This is not due to the direct perception of taste but due to the reaction occurring as a result of recollection of the perceived taste by the brain. This means that the chemicals in the food leave a lasting memory about their behaviour in the body. So it can be understood that when we salivate, our brain is preparing our digestive tract to digest the food. Whereas this does not occur in cases where we dislike the food because the brain sends signals saying the taste is unpleasant and will not aid the digestion of it.
This concept is very effectively used in treating ailments like fever, etc., where ones ability to taste is reduced or lost. They crave for their favourite food or even prefer eating something sour to jump start their palates. How does sourness help? Sour taste is itself acidic. It helps in clearing the thick coat on the palate and tongue. The body starts secreting high amount of mucous and saliva to dilute the acids in the food substance so not to harm the stomach, which is already a highly acidic environment.sour fruits like lemons and oranges are an added advantage as they have strong fresh smells which serve as mood lifters. This collection of reactions in the body itself lifts the mood of the consumer.
Like I said previously, gustatory perception is not limited to the tongue. The digestive organs are placed such that they can digest food in an order of the contents in it selectively. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals are all digested at different regions of the intestine and absorbed as per the body’s demand. The perception of taste by the tongue is associated with preparing the body for further digestion, assessing the chemical composition of food components and storing this in the memory for further speculation. Whereas the taste perception of the internal organs is associated with appetite and metabolic regulation I.e., they decide the suitable nutrition for the body on the long run. They send signals to the brain for registering the nutritional requirements of the body in the subconscious. A good example for this is the concept of getting “homesick”. our body tends to crave for the food which we were accustomed to, the food which was most nourishing to the body after a long time staying away from home.
The emergence of a variety of lifestyle disorders in the recent past and their continued increase maybe due to the derangement in the interactive mechanism between the brain, internal taste receptors and taste perception of the tongue. Diet and taste is directly linked to gene expression, especially during pregnancy. This helps in assessing the nutritional status of the foetus. In a disease, the expression o a certain gene creates aversion towards the qualities expressed by the gene, directing us to naturally reverse the disease process initially in order to restore balance in the body. If the disease has crossed this stage of reversal, medicines are given to perform the same. It is also evident that a disciplined and healthier diet alternative produces progeny with superior gene qualities. This is the reason to avoid smoking and alcohol during pregnancy.
Thus it can be concluded by saying that if food consumed brings about a pleasant effect on not just the tongue but on whole of the body and mind, then it is likely to maintain good health.
By observing and understanding the requirements of the body, our diet itself can serve as therapy. This also respects the individualistic requirements of nutrition and health.
