UCI study gives a new take on bitterness

The next time you taste something bitter and think “Ewww, gross,” there’s more than just your taste buds telling you to spit that food out.

New findings by UCI researchers show that not only do the bitter toxins in food make you want to spit it out, but when you eat it, the body slows the digestive process to break it down even more, increasing the chances it will be expelled.

Scientists hope to use the information to develop drug treatments that can be digested faster.

The bitterness triggers a second line of physical defense from the toxins, university officials said. The body produces hormones that make you feel full, so ideally, you’ll stop eating that bitter food. Researchers presume their research, which was performed on mice, can translate to human reactions.

— Joseph Serna