Dental News - Intake of caffeine may trigger sugar cravings

Intake of caffeine may trigger sugar cravings

Caffeine, the widely consumed stimulant and igniter on sluggish mornings, has been found to temper taste buds temporarily. (Photograph: Smile19/Shutterstock)

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 26. October 2017

save

ITHACA, N.Y., USA: Caffeine is a powerful antagonist of adenosine receptors, which promote relaxation and sleepiness. Depressing the effect of the receptors may make people feel more awake, but research has found that it also decreases their ability to taste sweetness—making food and drink seem less sweet, resulting in an increased temptation for sweets.

The new study, conducted at Cornell University, demonstrates taste modulation in the real world, said senior author Dr. Robin Dando, from the Department of Food Science. “When you drink caffeinated coffee, it will change how you perceive taste—for however long that effect lasts. So if you eat food directly after drinking a caffeinated coffee or other caffeinated drinks, you will likely perceive food differently.”

In the blind study, one group sampled decaffeinated coffee with 200 mg of caffeine added in a laboratory to make the beverage equivalent to a strong cup of coffee and thus consistent with real-life amounts of caffeine. The other group drank decaffeinated coffee containing an equally bitter concentration of quinine. Both groups had sugar added. In a second session on a separate day, the groups were alternated. Panelists rated the caffeinated brew as less sweet but didn’t report on the effect on bitter, sour, salty or umami perception.

In a secondary part of the study, participants disclosed their level of alertness and estimated the amount of caffeine in their coffee. They reported the same increase in alertness after drinking either the caffeinated or decaffeinated samples, but could not discern which version they had consumed.

“We think there might be a placebo or a conditioning effect to the simple action of drinking coffee,” said Dando. “Think Pavlov’s dog. The act of drinking coffee—with the aroma and taste—is usually followed by alertness. So the panelists felt alert even if the caffeine was not there.”

The study, titled “Caffeine may reduce perceived sweet taste in humans, supporting evidence that adenosine receptors modulate taste,” was published in the September issue of the Journal of Food Science.