By Tyler Sutherland
New research out of Sydney, Australia suggests your weight may depend on your “sixth” taste — fat.
Deakin University researchers found people can identify fat as the sixth taste among the other five; sweet, sour, salty, bitter and protein-rich. Those with more sensitivity on their tongues were less likely to consume more fatty foods. Those who couldn’t taste the fat were more likely to eat more, therefore becoming overweight.
While the research in Australia was conducted on humans, similar fat taste tests were done on animals in the United States.
Researchers also found the taste threshold for fat varies from person to person. Their next task is to find out why some people are sensitive to fats, while others are not.
The results of the study are published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.
On an unrelated note, the cheese pizza on the right looks too tempting. Take it away.
— With files from Reuters
