How Ginger Reduces Bad Breath and the Impact of Food Ingredients on Taste Perception
The Role of Saliva in Taste and Digestion
Human saliva is a complex fluid containing over 7,400 proteins and molecules that assist in tasting, digesting food, and defending against microbes. The process of tasting food or beverages triggers various reactions in saliva, including increased production and alterations in its protein composition.
Research on Ginger’s Effect on Saliva
A recent study published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by researchers from the Technical University of Munich examined how ginger affects saliva composition. Specifically, the study focused on salivary sulfhydryl oxidase 1, an enzyme that increases in the presence of 6-gingerol, a key compound in ginger. This increase may play a crucial role in combating bad breath.
Study Findings on Saliva and Bad Breath
The researchers discovered significant changes in saliva composition when exposed to 6-gingerol. Notably, the concentration of sulfhydryl oxidase 1 increased by 8 to 16 times with ginger exposure. When saliva samples containing this enzyme were tested against 2-furfurylthiol (FFT), a compound associated with roasted coffee’s odor, the concentration of FFT decreased. This suggests that 6-gingerol may help reduce bad breath by altering the interaction between saliva components and odor-causing substances.
The authors propose that further investigation into other mechanisms and components could enhance our understanding of oral care and chemosensory perception.
Citric Acid and Its Influence on Taste Perception
In addition to ginger, the researchers explored how other food ingredients, particularly citric acid and aspartame, affect saliva. Citric acid prompted the most significant response, increasing salivation and elevating sodium levels in saliva.
In an experiment where participants rated the saltiness of a sodium chloride solution after tasting citric acid, they reported that the salt solution tasted less salty. This indicates that changes in saliva composition can influence taste perception.
Implications for Future Research
The findings suggest that further studies on chemosensory stimulation, including taste and odor sensitivity, could lead to advancements in oral health and other related fields.
References
Bader M, Stolle T, Jennerwein M, Hauck J, Sahin B, Hofmann T. Chemosensate-Induced Modulation of the Salivary Proteome and Metabolome Alters the Sensory Perception of Salt Taste and Odor-Active Thiols. J Agric Food Chem. 2018; 66(29):7740-7749. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b02772.
Technical University of Munich. How food ingredients affect our taste perception: Pungent tasting substance in ginger reduces bad breath. Technical University of Munich (2018). https://www.tum.de/nc/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/detail/article/34844/