Are You A Supertaster? COVID Might Not Hit You!

COVID-19 is less likely to be contracted by supertasters and detecting the supertasting abilities could aid in the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 and some other respiratory tract infections.

Ever tried broccoli, celery, spinach, or chocolate and ended up tasting bitter? Well, it's time to be happy! Those same taste buds might protect you from SARS-CoV-2. Research finds supertasters are less likely to contract COVID-19 and even if they fall ill, chances are less to seek hospitalization.

The findings of this recent study were published online in JAMA Network Open . The study aimed to find the link between supertasting abilities and outcomes after infection with SARS-CoV-2. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that supertasters have heightened innate immune protection against COVID-19.

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‘Supertasters are people who show extreme sensitivity to some tastes, especially the bitter ones. They have a greater degree of immune protection that makes them less likely to contract COVID-19.’

"The results carry important implications, like allowing people to make more informed choices and potentially prioritizing vaccination administration," said the lead author Dr. Henry Barham, an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Baton Rouge, La.

Although it is still not fully understood, researchers do have a theory that links supertasters and their immunity against COVID.

Bitter taste receptors could be the heroes

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There are multiple bitter taste receptors found in the taste buds of our tongue. T2R38 is one among them which responds by producing nitric oxide when triggered. This substance promotes the clearance of mucus and kills pathogens in the human respiratory tract, thereby ensuring a cleaner respiratory tract.

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Dr. Henry Barham suggests that this tendency of bitter taste receptors to produce chemical substances in response to a stimulus could be the reason behind this. Many other studies are also observing how these receptors affect the risk for other respiratory infections.

Non-tasters showed the increased risk to COVID-19

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This study included around 2,000 people (average age 46) who were tested for supertasting ability and COVID-19 prior to the start of the research. The participants were segregated based on their tasting abilities into three groups: Non-tasters (people who cannot detect some bitter flavors completely), supertasters (people who are extremely sensitive to bitterness), and tasters (people who fit somewhere in between the other two groups).

266 participants tested positive for COVID-19 in the course of study. Among them, with the exception of individuals who were older or had comorbidities, non-tasters showed high vulnerability to COVID-19 and they were also the most probable ones to develop the severe form of infection. Tasters, in turn, developed mild-to-moderate forms of COVID-19 that did not require hospitalization.

Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, has been very much interested in studying the outcomes of loss of smell and taste on contracting diseases. "The new findings make a lot of sense," he said after reviewing the research findings. He further added, “If you are unable to taste bitterness, you should be that much more careful and wear masks for a longer duration to protect yourself from COVID-19."

The study showcases good news for supertasters and these findings can help in correlating the prognosis of COVID-19 with the outcomes that occur during the course of the infection. Home-based and workplace-based tests to detect the supertasting abilities of the general public might help as most people are not aware of their fit on the taste spectrum.

Source-Medindia