Sunday, February 10, 2008

Just eat the first bite and lose weight!

From today's Ask Marilyn column in Parade magazine:

Why does the first bite of a candy bar taste better than subsequent bites?
—Jack Campbell, Oak Ridge, Tenn.


It’s called “sensory adaptation.” The sensitivity of the taste receptors to the stimulus—the candy bar—decreases with more bites. (Smell receptors also are involved.) Your receptors will respond normally to sweeter treats but not to the same one. With the same candy bar, though, the taste receptors will recover rapidly if you rinse your mouth with water between bites.